Judged by the lights of the seventeenth century these charters of Dutch Colonization were extremely free and liberal, far more so than those of any other nation at that time. It must be remembered, too, that, they were the work of an armed commercial organization, of the nature of those then existing, intent upon its own interests, as well as those of the nation to which it belonged ; an organization equally well adapted to triumph in the pursuits of peace, or conquer in those of war.

Essentially monopolies, as w-ere all the colonizing and commercial companies of that era in England, and in all the other European nations, the charter of Freedoms and Exemptions of 1629 confined its benefits and privileges to the members of the Dutch West Indian Company by which it was granted. This was changed by that of 1640 which threw them open to, "All good inhabitants of the Netherlands and all others inclined to plant any colonies in New, Netherland." The former acknowledged, and granted the rights, powers, and privileges, of Patroons, as they then existed in the United Provinces of the Netherlands, to those who would plant a "colonie," (that is establish a plantation) of fifty souls above fifteen years of age, within four years in New Netherland, after notifying the proper authorities of their intention so to do. The latter reduced the time to three years, and by it all New Netherland was thrown open to the establishment of Patroonships, except the Island of Manhattan, which the Company reserved to itself.