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[ Upon the written and verbal propositions made by the director-general jointly to the council, the mayors and the schepens, the aforesaid director-general and council and the ] magistrates of this city, resolved: that according to the former resolution of 15 March, first and above all, the city of New Amsterdam shall be enclosed all around by joint work and placed in a proper state of defense, in order to repulse a sudden attack, and that then the fort be taken in hand and repaired. In order to do this in the best and quickest manner, it is further resolved by the director-general and council that the citizens and inhabitants, together with the craftsmen and laborers shall in general assist, either in person or, if they can afford it, by other suitable substitutes, and not stop work until it is completed; and [ put it ] in such a state of defense that the good inhabitants of this city, with their wives, children and property may be protected against a sudden assault and incursion, which God may mercifully prevent. And, in order that the whole work may be done and performed in a better manner and order, and that the aforesaid director-general and council and the mayors and schepens may have a supervision of its being done well and properly, it is resolved and decided that we go to work in teams; namely, that one fourth part of all the inhabitants, either citizens, merchants, farmers or sailors and skippers, whether already here or arrived hereafter, shall be [ employed on the aforesaid work for three consecutive days, as they shall be directed and ordered by the aforesaid director-general and council, mayors and schepens, either jointly ] or individually under penalty of 25 Carolus guilders, to be imposed on those who for the first time oppose the orders and resolutions made in joint session of the director-general and council and the magistrates, and do not obey generally or individually the commands of one of the aforesaid council or magistrates; if anyone is unwilling and disobedient a second time, he shall lose his rights as citizen, and if upon a third summons he remains obstinate and unwilling, he shall be punished arbitrarily and banished from the province. In order to prevent excuses and dissatisfaction, it is further resolved that the director-general, council and the aforesaid magistrates shall not only be and remain the managers of the work, but each of them shall also, according to his means, send a man to work at his own expense. The same order is to apply to the subordinate officers of the honorable Company, none excepted; and the free Negroes, who shall go to work with their fourth part upon their section of the aforesaid construction and continue until it is completed, are subject to like penalties as above. Concerning the first, second and third point it is further resolved that no ships, barks nor any person [ shall be allowed to leave within the period of 14 days or three weeks, when the director-general and his council and the magistrates hope to have completed the aforesaid work and to have made it defendable, provided it is commenced and continued with courage and zeal. In case it is completed sooner, the director-general and council will issue another order concerning the earlier departure of ships, barks and persons. Thus done and enacted in joint session with the mayors and schepens by the director-general and council at New Amsterdam, 12 May 1653. ]

References

Translation: Gehring, C., trans./ed., New York Historical Manuscripts: Dutch, Vol. 5, Council Minutes, 1652-1654 (Baltimore: Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc.: 1983).A complete copy of this publication is available on the New Netherland Institute website.