Van Raalte, Albertus Christiaan, 1811-1876.

Albertus Christiaan Van Raalte attended the University of Leyden, deciding in 1833 to study for the ministry. In 1836 he became a minister in the Church of the Seceders when he was denied entry into the ministry of the state church. In that same year he married Christina De Moen. Because of the persecution he and his followers experienced, Van Raalte decided to immigrate to America. In 1846 Van Raalte, along with his family and 53 members of his congregation, set sail aboard the Southerner for New York.

After much deliberation and prayer, Van Raalte decided to settle in the area at the head of Black Lake, the present site of Holland, Michigan. He served as the spiritual and political leader of the colony and was also instrumental in the founding of Hope College.

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