<p>After returning to the Netherlands, he was appointed Director-General of New Netherland in 1647, tasked with restoring the struggling colony of New Amsterdam (modern-day New York City). Kieft's administration of the colony had left the colony in terrible condition. Only a small number of villages remained after Kieft's wars, and many of their inhabitants had been driven away and returned home, leaving only 250 to 300 men able to carry arms. Kieft himself had accumulated a fortune of over 4,000 guilders during his term in office, and become an alcoholic.</p>

<p>Peter Stuyvesant, born around 1612, studied at the University of Franeker before joining the Dutch West India Company. After holding positions in Brazil and Curaçao, he became the acting governor of the latter in 1642. In 1644, during an attack on Saint Martin, Stuyvesant lost his leg, earning him the nickname "Peg Leg Pete."&nbsp;</p>

Stuyvesant arrived in New Amsterdam

Historian and lawyer James Kaplan asks listeners to use their imaginations as he describes the site of Shearith Israel Synagogue that once stood near 22 William Street. The first synagogue in North America, it was built in 1730. As the surrounding neighborhood - which would become the Financial District - became more industrial, congregants left the site to build synagogues in Greenwich Village and Upper West Side.

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 At Bowling Green, Kaplan talks about Evacuation Day, the departure of the British from New York City, and Charging Bull, a popular statue representing the spirit of Wall Street and American capitalism. 

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 At the statue of Nathan Hale in City Hall Park, Kaplan discusses Hale's life and significance, and the history of City Hall. 

 Architectural historian Gail Cornell talks about the history of Foley Square and the African Burial Ground. 

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