Kiliaen van Rensselaer was a Dutch merchant and one of the early settlers of the New Netherland colony in North America. Born in 1586 in the Netherlands, he became a prominent figure in the fur trade and was granted a large land patent in 1629, which included parts of present-day New York and Albany. As the first patroon of the Rensselaerswyck estate, van Rensselaer established a feudal system of land management, attracting settlers to the region. His leadership helped shape the early development of the area, contributing to the growth of the Dutch influence in North America during the 17th century.