Corlaer’s House: Diplomatic Spaces, Lineages, and Memory in the New York Borderlands

Abstract

Abstract:For a century after his death in 1667, the Haudenosaunee nations used a shorthand version of Arent van Curler’s name—“Corlaer”—to refer to the Dutch and English settlers of the New York borderlands and their colonial governments. They also designated Albany as the gathering place for all diplomatic meetings and called it “Corlaer’s house.” Historians have debated why Van Curler the person became a symbol after his death, with many emphasizing his diplomatic skill (or lack thereof). However, looking beyond Van Curler as an individual and placing him within specific contexts of familial relationships and diplomatic households reveals how the Haudenosaunee used “Corlaer’s house” as a means of renewing their relationships with the settler families on their borders. During an era of violence and political turmoil, each mention of “Corlaer” was a reminder of the framework of sovereignty and cooperation that the Dutch and Haudenosaunee had committed to build. The synecdoche helped ensure that those who met in “Corlaer’s house” would heed the memories contained within it, memories as fraught as Van Curler’s life had been.