During Kieft's administration an Indian war, resulting from the murder of an Indian, as is related in the previous chapter, befel New Netherland, and drove the white settlers from Westchester County and threatened the complete destruction of the colony.
Kieft's administration proved unfortunate for the company. It was considered that he had unnecessarily brought on the disastrous war with the Indians, and he had done nothing to remedy the ditficulties with the Patroons. The financial affairs of the colony ' were also unsatisfactory. Very serious were the dis-
HISTORY OF WESTCHESTER COUNTY.
oussions in the college of the company as to the correction of the existing evils. Finally new regulations were adopted, and Peter Stuyvesant was appointed Director-General. It was hoped that he would also prove a " Eedresser-General." He came to Xew Xetherland in 1646 and assumed the reins of the government as the successor of Kieft.
Stuyvesant's administration was an energetic one on the part of the Director-General, but he was beset with difficulties on every hand. He was anxious to insist on the Dutch claim to all the territory from the Connecticut to the Delaware Rivers, which the English settlers were as emphatic in denying. The English pushed their settlements almost to the Harlem River. On Long Island they claimed entire independence of New Netherland. Stuyvesant had
PETEK ST U Y \-ES A N J .
further troubles with the Indians up the Hudson. The internal affairs of his government were very jarring. Jealousies and disputes were frequent. He was stern in his assertion of authority, but that authority was but poorly respected. To add to his difficultie-', lie was very insufficiently supported by the college of the company in Amsterdam. The unfortunate organization of the companj' became more and more apparent. New Netherland was a financial burden.