Elton J. Bruins, long-time professor in the Department of Religion at Hope College, spent years collecting documents by and about Albertus C. Van Raalte, founder of Holland, Michigan and early patron of Hope College. Documents were gathered from dozens of public and private collections, making a nearly exhaustive collection of Van Raalte's writings and reflections. It is these documents that make up the "Van Raalte Papers."
Digitizing the Van Raalte papers was supported by the Dutch Culture USA program by the Consulate General of the Netherlands in New York. The project was done in partnership with Heritage Hall at Calvin University, which also digitized its Van Raalte collections.
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Essay "Amerika"
A long essay about "Amerika" which was published in De Reformatie, a publication produced by the Rev. Hendrik P. Scholte, pp. 276-291. The essay is supposedly continued in another issue. The essay is a careful critique of life in America. The author's name is not given. [Could the author be Scholte?]
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Facsimile of a Bill of a Stove Purchased by Van Raalte
A facsimile of a bill for a stove purchased by Albertus C. Van Raalte from Harmon De Graff. The cost was $18.31.
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"The Constitution of the Society for the Dutch Emigration to North America"
"The Constitution of the Society for the Dutch Emigration to North America." These sixteen articles were also published in Levensbeschrijving van wijlen Prof. A. Brummelkamp Hoogleeraar aan de Theologische Schoolte Kampen Doorzijn jongsten zoon A. Brunmmelkamp, Kampen, J. H. Kok, 1910, pp. 205-209.
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"Vervolging Wegens Godsdienstoefening," - Essay
An essay,"Vervolging Wegens Godsdienstoefening,"published in De Reformatie, Tijdschrift ter Bevordering van Gods Koningrijk in Nederland, 3de Serie , IIde Deel, Amsterdam: Hoogkamer & Compe, 1846, pp. 265-270.
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Letter from Derk and Louise Arnaud to "Dearly Beloved Pastors"
Derk Arnaud, Louise Arnaud, and Henry ten Hoor
A long letter of Derk [?] and Louise Arnaud to "dearly beloved pastors," presumably to Antonie Brummelkamp and Albertus C. Van Raate because the Arnauds had just arrived in America from Arnhem, the Netherlands, giving the details of their sea journey and first experiences in America. Louise seems to be the writer of the letter because she wrote about Derk's experience as a carpenter in Boston.
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Letter from Louise Arnaud to Antonie and Mrs. Brummelkamp
Louise Arnaud and Henry ten Hoor
A letter of Louise Arnaud to Rev. Antonie and Mrs. Brummelkamp in Arnhem, the Netherlands, giving an update on her family's life in Boston. Derk has the same job and is paid much better; they are living well. However, they do miss the fellowship of Christians in Arnhem. She knows that Rev. and Mrs. Van Raalte have arrived in New York. The Arnaudshad heard that Van Raalte had met with Rev. Isaac Wyckoff in Albany. On 3 December, a shipload of Dutch immigrants arrived in Boston including a family by the name of van Doornik. A "brother Mensing" was also in the group. (Is this the Mensing or Mensink who went to Alto?) She also pleads with the Brummelkamps to come to America: "Dear Dominic and madam, hasten to leave Sodom with Lot and come to America..."
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Letter from Anthony Brummelkamp to G. Groen van Prinsterer
Anthony Brummelkamp and Henry ten Hoor
A letter of Rev. Anthony Brummelkamp to G. Groen van Prinsterer concerning the Christelijke Vrienden [Christian Friends] which Groen leads. Groen is a "friend in high places" for the Separatists and an evangelical sympathetic to their cause.
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Letter from Antonie Brummelkamp to G. Groen van Prinsterer
Antonie Brummelkamp, Ellie Dekker, and Henry ten Hoor
A letter of Antoine Brununelkamp to G. Groen van Prinsterer about emigration to North America. "To give direction to the stream after the dike has been broken will be fruitless work."
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"Emigration, or, Why Do We Promote the Migration of People to North America and Not to Java?"
A. Brummelkamp, A. C. Van Raalte, and Harry Boonstra
"Emigration, or, Why Do We Promote the Migration of People to North America and Not to Java? by A. Brummelkamp and A. C. Van Raalte
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Letter from Benjamin Brummelkamp to His Cousin Albertus
Benjamin Brummelkamp
Benjamin Brummelkamp, son of the Anthony Brummelkamps, is writing to his cousin, Albertus, the son of Albertus and Christina Van Raalte, now departing for America, wishing them well. He realizes that he may never see them again. The letter reflects an unusual depth of piety for a young boy.
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Article "Emigrants from Holland" in the Christian Intelligencer
Thomas De Witt
An article by the Rev. Thomas De Witt in the Christian Intelligencer, October 8, 1846, p. 50, entitled, "Emigration from Holland." De Witt notified the readers that a society has been formed recently in Albany, New York, called "The Protestant Evangelical Holland Emigrant Society" for the purpose of aiding the Dutch immigrants arriving in America. De Witt also mentioned that he had a recent visit to the Netherlands at which time he met the Rev. Hendrik P. Scholte who impressed him very much. De Witt brought a copy of the Appeal to the Faithful with him, the pamphlet written by Brummelkamp and Van Raalte.
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Article "Emigrants From Holland" in The Christian Intelligencer
Thomas De Witt
He reported that Albertus C. Van Raalte and his party arrived three or four weeks ago. He also said that within ten days, three ships with immigrants arrived in New York. De Witt had met Scholte last summer in the Netherlands and was very favorably impressed with him, according to this article.
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Letter from Thomas De Witt to Hendrik P. Scholte
Thomas De Witt and Henry ten Hoor
A letter of Thomas De Witt, of the Collegiate Church, New York City, to Hendrik P. Scholte. Since Van Raalte's arrival with his group, there have been three more arrivals, two of which have more than one hundred emigrants and the third, about thirty. One ship was named the Isabella. De Witt shows much concern about these people because of their arrival during the winter season. De Witt seems to have developed a fairly close relationship with Scholte.
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Letter from Thomas De Witt to Hendrik P. Scholte
Thomas De Witt and Henry ten Hoor
A letter of Thomas De Witt, pastor in the Collegiate Church, to Hendrik P. Scholte, concerning the arrival of Albertus C. Van Raalte and his group on November 18. "[A.C.V.R.] was anxious to proceed immediately on the way to Wisconsin as the navigation on the Canal and on the lakes was about drawing to a close." De Witt shows considerable interest in Van Raalte and his people. De Witt also thanks Scholte for the pamphlets he sent him.
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Letter from Mrs. G. Groen van Prinsterer to Hendrik P. Scholte
G. Groen van Prinsterer and Nella Kennedy
Mrs. G. Groen van Prinsterer, nee v. d. Hoop, wrote Rev. Hendrik P. Scholte. She said that "You know how we regretted the Secession, and now another grievous separation in many ways." She also said that "...the Word is not bound and if the Holy Spirit blesses the preaching it will have the same fruits here as in North America."
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Letter from G. Groen van Prinsterer to J. T. Bodel Nijenhuis
G. Groen van Prinsterer and Henry ten Hoor
A letter of G. Groen van Prinsterer to J. T. Bodel Nijenhuis about another meeting of the "Christen Vrienden," the previous one being January 28, 1846, indicating that 42 people were present including Callenbach, Heldring, Brummelkamp, and Scholte. Van Raalte is not present because Brummelkamp was? The issue of education was discussed.
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Letter from Mrs. G. Groen van Prinsterer to J. T. Bodel Nyenhuis
Mrs. G. Groen van Prinsterer and Henry ten Hoor
A letter of Mrs. G. Groen van Prinsterer to J. T. Bodel Nyenhuis, expressing her disappointment in the appointment of Prof. A. Rutgers van der Loeff in Leiden.
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Letter from Alexander Hartgerink to Rev. Brummelkamp and Van Raalte
Alexander Hartgerink
A letter of Alexander Hartgerink to the Revs. Brummelkamp and Van Raalte, Arnhem.
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Letter from O. G. Heldring to G. Groen van Prinsterer
O. G. Heldring and Simone Kennedy
A letter of O. G.Heldring to G. Groen van Prinsterer, urging him to promote emigration to the Dutch colonies and not North America. Heldring disagrees with what Hendrik P. Scholte is doing. "There are numerous adventurers and frauds in North America....I'd rather live in Java... I believe that the thousands of poor fellows who follow Scholte are people of whom one would say: What can you ever do with that folk? "Heldring claims to know very few people who want to go to America.
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"Eenige Gedachten Over Colonisatie" Essay
O. G. Heldring and Henry ten Hoor
An essay by the Rev. O.G. Heldring, entitled, "Eenige Gedachten Over Colonisatie" [Some Thoughts About Colonization] which was published in De Reformatie, Tijdschrift ter Bevordering van Gods Koningrijk in Nederland, 3de Serie, IIde Deel, Amsterdam: Hoogkamer & Compe, 1846, pp. 260-264. The author favors the idea of emigration to America. The poor have better prospects there than in the Netherlands. The author displays a strong social consciousness.
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Letter by Peter Hulkenberd "A Brief Uit Noord-Amerika, Het Land Van Belofte! Aan De Nederlanders,"
Peter Hulkenberd and Henry ten Hoor
A letter by Peter Hulkenberd, entitled, "A Brief uit Noord- Amerika, Het Land van Belofte! aan de Nederlanders," Montgomerie [Alabama?]. 4 pp. He reports that he landed at New Orleans, stopped over in St. Louis for two days, stopped at "Hermann's, on April 16, was entertained by a "Mr. Tersang," and ran into the "Monnikus. There he purchased 150 acres "of which ten acres are usable and on which stand a good dwelling house, a tobacco barn, corn cribs, and a smoke-house for the smoking of meat." He paid $250 for the property. The land was better than found in "Rees" [Gelderlandfl. Schouten from Rees is also there. The major crop is tobacco. America is a great place to be. He hopes many relatives will come to America. Neither Lucas nor Van Hinte mention Hulkerberd.
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![News Item from the Leeuwan[arden]? Courant by Nella Kennedy](https://digitalcommons.hope.edu/vrp_1840s/1244/thumbnail.jpg "News Item from the Leeuwan[arden]? Courant by Nella Kennedy")
News Item from the Leeuwan[arden]? Courant
Nella Kennedy
A news item appeared in the Leeuwa[arden/ Courant that reported on the departure of three groups of emigrants for America. The pastor of the Ommen congregation, Rev. Albertus C. Van Raalte, (and his group) left Rotterdam on the 24th/
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Letter from Mannes (?) Mensink to Fellow Believers in the Netherlands
Mannes Mensink and Walter Lagerwey
A letter of M[annes?] Mensink to fellow believers in the Netherlands who writes that the Rev. Isaac N. Wyckoff is helping several Hollanders including himself to find work in Albany where the group would spend the winter. A key sentence in the letter is: "Van Raalte is away, from Buffalo to Detroit, and then to Michigan and Wisconsin; he intends to buy land-900 acres for 7000 dollars—on the Grand River, just check it on the map, between [Lake] Huron and [Lake] Michigan; it will be a big mistake if it actually happens; he has asked the Reverends Wyckoff and De Witt in New York for money;..." Undoubtedly Mensink has been in conversation with Wyckoff about Van Raalte and where he planned to settle. Yet Van Raalte in his letter of December 16 is not sure where he will settle his colony. Mensink speaks about many fellow Hollanders. "We were of two factions, those of Drenthe opposed us." A person from Arnhem was negatively vocal about Van Raalte and Brummelkamp. Mensink settled in Alto, Wisconsin where Roelof Sleijster had gone. See the Minutes of the Classis of Wisconsin, Reformed Church in America, about Mensink's role in church affairs in Alto.
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Fragment of Letter from Hendrik P. Scholte to G. Groen van Prinsterer
Hendrik P. Scholte and Elisabeth Dekker
A fragment of a letter of Hendrik P. Scholte to G. Groen van Prinsterer concerning emigration to North America or Java. "We have come to the conclusion that this government is completely unwilling to promote any kind of emigration to Java even though the Minister admitted that vast land regions were lying unused... [The attitude of the government] does not help the urgent unemployment and poverty of the people in Gelderland....The stubborn opposition of the governemnt against freedom of religion and education encourages the wish to leave....In North America, the land lies empty, there is complete religious and educational freedom, even if the number of emigrants is large and they stay together with the acquisition of land the local government will remain in the hands of the colonists."
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Letter Fragment from Hendrik P. Scholte to G. Groen Prinsterer
Hendrik P. Scholte and Ellie Dekker
A fragment of a letter of Hendrik P. Scholte to G. Groen van Prinsterer, stating that he has come to the conclusion to emigrate to America where many of the Afscheidenen have gone.
