We welcome back Dr. Meta Janowitz where she treats us to a lecture on Sara Roelofse.

Sara Roelofse, born in Amsterdam but a citizen of New Netherland from her earliest years, became known to archaeologists when the site of her former home along the shore of the East River in Manhattan was excavated. Documentary research and analysis of excavated artifacts have given us glimpses of what her life was like before her death in 1693. During the 66 years of her life, Sara Roelofse had many duties and responsibilities, some purely domestic and some in the service of the government and people of New Amsterdam. She was a mother to eleven children (nine lived to adulthood), a translator and cultural broker between the Dutch and the Native Americans, and a “goede vrouw,” a good woman, of the town. Sara was a person of note in New Amsterdam and the surrounding areas, including what is now northern New Jersey, and, although there are no records of her being paid in money for her services, she was granted land on Manhattan Island and here in Bergen County. We can talk a bit about her everyday life and her influence on those around her using the written records and artifacts available to us.