In follow-up to my earlier posts, Part 1 and Part 2, we are now going to be talking about two figures with very interesting stories. One was an early trader and translator of the New Netherland colonial era and the other is an early businessman and real estate salesman who went on to become a mayor and to also play an important role in the construction of the White House.
Juan Rodríguez
New York City is a city known for its large population of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans. So it would amaze many of you to know that early in New York history, there was a Dominican who lived amongst the native Lenape peoples and traded with later Dutch colonists who settled in what is today Manhattan Island. Juan Rodriguez (or perhaps João Rodrigues (Portuguese) or Jan Rodrigues in Dutch) was born in the Spanish colony of Santo Domingo to a Portuguese sailor father and an African mother.
Rodriguez first appears in history as a translator aboard a Dutch vessel called the Jonge Tobias which was headed to the island of Mannahatta (today known as Manhattan Island) to trade with the natives who lived there. Around 1613, the Jonge Tobias landed on the island, and while there, Rodriguez was able to quickly learn to speak their language. He also married a native Lenape woman and assimilated himself into their way of life. When the time came for the Jonge Tobias to depart the island, Rodriguez did not join them and instead stayed behind with his family on the island. Some sources suggest he may have settled on Noten Eylant (today known as Governor’s Island) which later went on to serve as the base of operations of the Dutch New Netherland colony around 1624 until it was moved to the tip of Mannahatta Island.
During the years of the New Netherland colony, his translation skills made him quite useful and his fluency in the Lenape language allowed him to serve as an intermediary and translator for many Dutch merchants who settled in the area. He is memorialized with Juan Rodriguez Way in the Inwood area of New York City, and a mural in the Harlem area of New York City.
SOURCES:
Peter Casanave (c. 1766- c. 1796)
Born around 1766 in Navarre, Spain, Pedro Casanave (it is unclear if this was how his surname was spelled) was the son of a Spanish lawyer and merchant, and he was also the nephew of the Spanish merchant Juan de Miralles (a major financier of the American Revolution and close friend of George Washington). After arriving in the United States in 1785, Pedro Casanave was introduced via his uncle to George Washington. Washington and Casanave befriended each other and this allowed the young Casanave to get his start in business.
His first business was a distribution warehouse in Georgetown. In 1790, he began selling real estate around Georgetown and became quite successful at it. In September 1791, he married Ann Nancy Young, the daughter of wealthy businessman Notley Rozier Young, and he anglicized his name to “Peter Casanave”. He also became a sponsor at the Georgetown College for international students and students with financial limitations. Shortly thereafter, President Washington appointed Casanave to be the budget manager for the construction of the White House. On October 12, 1792, with President Washington present, Peter Casanave placed the cornerstone of what is today the White House. In the following years, he continued to work on managing the budget for the White House’s construction.
From 1794-1795, Casanave served as the fifth mayor of the city of Georgetown. In 1796, however, he fell ill and passed away at the young age of thirty. After his death, White House architect James Hoban took over Casanave’s duties and several years later, the White House was finally complete. To this day, the White House still serves as the residence of the President of the United States. So now, if you are ever visiting Pennsylvania Avenue and see the White House, you can now know that an early Hispanic figure played an early role in its construction.
SOURCES: Pedro Casenave, El Navarro Que Puso La Primera Piedra en la Casa Blanca, by Miguel Javier Guelbenzu Fernandez (2018)
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