Who founded Amsterdam?

Cities have developed throughout history to become major metropolises globally. On the contrary, most of these cities started out from a decent and humble background only to evolve to what they are today.

The History of Amsterdam

Amsterdam was founded by two fishermen who got their independence from Count Floris the fifth. Later on, Amsterdam thrived as a trading centre. At the heart of the city is a 13th-century dam from which the town derives its name. The dam was built on river Amstel. The city’s coat of arms dates from the 13thcentury. The coat of arms of the city bears 3 crosses of St. Andrew. The crosses are rumored to represent the 3 enemies of Amsterdam city, namely fire, water, and plaques.
Come the 15th century, Amsterdam got to develop rapidly. As a result, this enabled the city to build three canals that ensured that the town thrived. Furthermore, the construction of the canals made Amsterdam more accessible and exposed to the trading world, thus making it flourish for more than 200 years.
However, not all was honey since the town was involved in the conquest of Antwerp. Nonetheless, the town became one of the richest and the most potent cities by the 16th century, a position they would hold till the 1700s. Later on, Amsterdam became home to most refugees since it was religiously tolerant, unlike other cities. As a result, this ensured that the city’s population not only increased but also the number of skilled industrious men within the town doubled.