n. 1  something that is produced by a cause or agent; result. 2  power or ability to influence or produce a result; efficacy. 3  the condition of being operative (esp in the phrases in or into effect)  take effect â to become operative or begin to produce 1  results. basic meaning or purpose (esp in the phrase to that effect)
New Amsterdam (Dutch: Nieuw-Amsterdam) was a 17th-century Dutch settlement established at the southern tip of Manhattan Island, which served as the seat of the colonial government in New Netherland. The factorij became a settlement outside of Fort Amsterdam. Situated on the strategic, fortifiable southern tip of the island of Manhattan, the fort was meant to defend the Dutch West India Company's fur trade operations in the North River (Hudson River).
The Dutch Arrive on Manhattan Island: An Indian Perspective. Henry Hudson, employed by the Dutch India Company, anchored off of Manhattan in 1609 and traded with local Indians. Hudson then headed up the river (later named the Hudson River) seeking Northwest Passage to Asia. Other Dutch settlers soon followed.