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Between 1652 and 1674, the Dutch and English fought three naval wars, battling for supremacy in shipping and trade. England’s Charles II promised New Netherland to his brother, James, Duke of York. In May 1664 James dispatched Colonel Richard Nicolls [or Nichols] to seize the colony. Three hundred soldiers from four warships went ashore on Long Island in August and moved west to Brooklyn, enlisting support from the English towns on Long Island and distributing handbills ahead of the advancing troops offering fair treatment for those who surrendered.
