Carrie, before you do so, please review my page on
http://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Space:New_Netherland_Settlements
which is still somewhat in process. There are some 50 settlements that will need to be properly grouped and categorized for New Netherland, and they cross three or four states, depending on whether we count the factorijen, and whether we count Pennsylvania as well as Delaware.
I have thought about dividing it by the rivers and islands as major groups. Except that the Hudson would have to be an upper and lower. And Long Island is both Dutch and British ruled, so it gets complicated.
Also, I have been trying to figure this out from the perspective of a need for a more comprehensive historical place category structure. For instance, New Sweden was assumed in the midst of New Netherland claimed territory, and was then defeated, and so then ceased to exist, and was then absorbed into New Netherland.
There are countless examples around the world.
I have been thinking of approaching as a beginning structure with something perhaps simple, such as West Virginia. My ancestors are from Wetzel County, which was in Virginia. But then became West Virginia in 1863.
So I would like to see a historical structure to accomodate this. Since Wetzel Country stayed the same place,it can be cross-categorzied to modern West Virginia, and also to historical eastern Virginia pre-1863. Something like that.
So, maybe first we might have some kind of master top-level category, Historical Places.
Then Historical Places in North America.
Then Historical Places in West Virginia.
Then Historical Eastern Virginia pre-1863.
New Netherland would be under Historical Places in New York, etc.
I don't know the best structure yet. I am just kicking it around, because we need something proper and consistent around the world. For instance, an entire half of Germany and of Poland are not where they used to be..