Struggling with settlements

[blinkinhek]

I am struggling to understand how the settlement boundaries are determined ... particularly when you are close to a competing settlement.

For exxample, I have what I think is a strong English settlement, with farmers. miners etc on surrounding squares, but these keep being kicked off by what appears to be a smaller Dutch settlement that has turned up close by. I do not seem to be able to maintain my boundary!

What am I doing wrong?

tia

 

[dalgo]

You either need to produce more liberty bells to extend your boundaries or invest in an army and take them by force.