Maria van Cortlandt van Rensselaer
Maria van Cortlandt van Rensselaer was a notable figure in 17th-century colonial America, born in New Amsterdam to Dutch settlers. She received an education that was considered advanced for her time, likely influenced by her parents’ values. In 1662, she married Jeremias van Rensselaer and moved to Rensselaerswyck, a significant land grant near present-day Albany, New York, where they became part of the wealthy elite managing a large estate with numerous tenant farmers. Following her husband’s untimely death after twelve years of marriage, Maria took on the management of the estate, demonstrating resilience and business acumen.
Despite facing personal challenges, including a debilitating injury from childbirth and the loss of her husband, Maria remained a devoted mother to her seven children. Her literary legacy consists of twenty-seven letters written in Dutch, primarily to her brother-in-law and brother, offering insights into her life as a businesswoman, mother, and widow during a turbulent period. These letters address various topics, including business, personal struggles, and the sociopolitical context of her time. Maria van Rensselaer's story reflects the complexities of colonial life and the role of women in managing both family and property in early American society.
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Maria van Cortlandt van Rensselaer
- Born: July 20, 1645 (baptized)
- Birthplace: New Amsterdam (now New York City, New York)
- Died: January 24, 1689
Biography
Maria van Cortlandt was born in the colony of New Amsterdam to Dutch settlers who were members of the Dutch Reformed Church. Her parents valued education and she was provided a solid education for the times. In 1662, she married Jeremias van Rensselaer, the son of one of the directors of the Dutch West India Company, and the couple relocated to a large land grant called Rensselaerswyck, which was in the vicinity of what would one day be Albany, New York. Many tenant farmers and laborers worked in Rensselaerswyck, and by the standards of the day the van Rensselaers were wealthy.
Maria van Rensselaer was involved in the day-to-day operations of managing the couple’s property, which would stand her in good stead after her husband’s early death in their twelfth year of marriage. In their second year, she gave birth to their first child, Kiliaen; she would eventually give birth to seven children, six of whom survived. Complications ensued during her delivery of Kiliaen, causing an injury to her legs from which she never completely recovered, and for much of the rest of her life she used a crutch. In addition to caring for her large family, her life became more complicated when her husband died in 1674.
Many of the letters that constitute her literary legacy stem from this period and offer extensive glimpses of the life of a Dutch American settler, businesswoman, mother, and grieving widow. Van Rensselaer took over the daily operations of Rensselaerswyck, and the estate’s prosperity continued under her management. Twenty-seven of her letters are extant; she may have written additional correspondence that has not survived. The surviving letters were written in Dutch between 1675 to 1688. Most of her letters were written to her brother-in-law Richard, who was executor of Jeremias’s estate, and her brother Stephanus. The letters are, by and large, concerned with practical matters and focus largely on business concerns. They also offer some commentary on King Philip’s War, the Dutch Reformed Church, the nature of her business, and the politics of the New Amersterdam colony.
Life would deal van Rensselaer more disappointments. She had to fight the powerful Robert Livingston, who sought to gain the van Rensselaer lands by having married a van Rensselaer widow. She also believed that her brother-in-law failed to appropriately aid her in providing for her children. Van Rensselaer remained strong in her faith, however, and in her commitment to her family’s status and prominence.