First independent school in U.S.

To increase the population of its New Amsterdam colony was  Dutch West Indian Company’s major task.  It encouraged cultural diversity. Unlike colonies like Boston and Philadelphia, New Amsterdam included immigrants from many different countries plus many African slaves were brought to help build streets and houses. Around 1643, the population in the colony reached above five hundred people and there were approximately eighteen different languages spoken in the city.  Immigrants from all over the world, many arrived without knowledge of English or without formal education in their home land.  For generations, society and economy demanded workers with different knowledge and skills.  Schools not only acted as a “sorting device” for society, they also helped our economy changed from the industrial system to a more informational and high technology system today. During 1600’s, the Dutch West Indian Company sent a schoolmaster named Adam Roelantsen to open the first independent school in New Amsterdam. This school later became Collegiate School. The school’s location has been changed several times. Currently is located on the upper west side of Manhattan.