Editing Peter Minuit (section)

===Early life===
Peter Minuit was born in [[Wesel]], Germany between 1580 and 1585<ref name="GoodJames">{{cite journal | url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/23323599 | jstor=23323599 | title=A Calvinistic Founder of America: Peter Minuit | last1=Good | first1=James I. | journal=Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society (1901-1930) | date=1923 | volume=11 | issue=7 | pages=260–267 }}</ref><ref name=wesel>{{ cite web| title=Peter Minuit| url=https://www.wesel.de/en/city-portrait/peter-minuit/ | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201081411/http://www.wesel.de/en/city-portrait/peter-minuit/ | website=Wesel.de| archive-date=2017-12-01}}</ref> into a [[Calvinist]] family<ref>{{cite journal | url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/23323599 | jstor=23323599 | title=A Calvinistic Founder of America: Peter Minuit | last1=Good | first1=James I. | journal=Journal of the Presbyterian Historical Society (1901-1930) | date=1923 | volume=11 | issue=7 | pages=260–267 }}</ref> that had moved from the city of [[Tournai]] (presently part of [[Wallonia]], Belgium) in the [[Southern Netherlands]] controlled by Spain, in order to avoid Spanish Catholic authorities, who were not favorably disposed toward [[Protestants]].<ref name=nni/> His surname means "midnight" in French.<ref name=footprints>{{cite book|last1=Nevius|first1=James|last2=Nevius|first2=Michelle|title=Footprints in New York: Tracing the Lives of Four Centuries of New Yorkers|location=Guilford, Conn.|publisher=Lyons Press|date=2014|isbn=9780762796366|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_nhBBAAAQBAJ&pg=PA13}}</ref>

His father, Johann Minuit, died in 1609 and Peter took over management of the household and his father's business. Peter had a good reputation in Wesel, attested by the fact that he was several times appointed a guardian. He also assisted the poor during the Spanish occupation of 1614–1619.<ref name=wesel/>

Minuit married Gertrude Raedts from [[Kleve|Cleve]] on August 20, 1613. Gertrude was from a wealthy family and she probably helped Peter Minuit establish himself as a broker. A will drawn up in 1615 in the Dutch city of [[Utrecht]], mentions "Peter Minnewit" as a diamond cutter.<ref name=nni/> Whether he traded in other items is unknown. He spelled his own surname as ''Minuit'', but the spelling ''Minnewit'' shows the pronunciation.<ref name="hg">{{cite book |author=Historisch Genootschap |title=Bijdragen en mededeelingen van het Historisch Genootschap (gevestigt te Utrecht)., Deel 29|location=Amsterdam |publisher=Amsterdam, Johannes Muller|year=1877 |isbn= |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=B_wPAAAAYAAJ |access-date=February 2, 2024 |pages=41 }} [https://archive.org/details/bijdragenenmede04unkngoog/page/n75/mode/2up?q=Minnewit Alt URL]</ref> Thus in some old books ''Minnewit'' is used. 

By 1624, the city was in an economic decline and in 1625, he had left Wesel and like others, went to Holland. At first, Gertrude went to stay with her relatives in Cleve.<ref name=wesel/>