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Apparently when we sold New York (Nieuw Amsterdam) there was a vote what the official language was going to be. English edged out Dutch despite most people over there speaking Dutch.
Imagine if Dutch had become the official language of the States. All those cool sounding names (at least to us) would have become silly sounding ones. That silliness causes me to set all my devices to English.
Firstly, this is actually a common myth. Secondly, the common myth states it was German (Deutsch), not Dutch (which is actually a misappropriated name anyway.) - though looking at Wikipedia, is seems there is a Dutch version also:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muhlenberg_legend
Edit: and the "Dutch" spoken in Pennsylvania is actually German, just so that we are all clear :-)
Edited 2012-04-27 09:43 UTC
From what I remember from my grade school us history, there wasn't a purchase of New Amsterdam as much as the English just sailed in one day and were welcomed as heros by the residents that were tired of the rule of their peg-legged mayor.
Wikipedia, seems to think there were wars fought over it.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Amsterdam#1625.E2.80.931674





Member since:
2005-06-29
Considering I'm Dutch, that might make sense
.