Eight Men

The Eight Men was a group of eight residents chosen by the people of New Netherland in 1643 to advise Director Willem Kieft on his governance of the colony.

They requested that a new Director-General of New Netherland be appointed, and that the people be given more influence in the new government.

Kieft left for Holland in September 1647 to defend himself to the Estates-General, but the Princess Amelia was lost at sea and his body was never recovered.

John Franklin Jameson (1859–1937) wrote of the Eight Men: The commonalty were called together; they were sore distressed.

They chose eight, instead of the previous twelve, persons to aid in consulting for the best; but the occupation every one had to take care of his own, prevented anything beneficial being adopted at that time.