A Brief History of New York City

By Catherine McGrew Jaime

New York City -- what a city, what a history!

If it happened anywhere in America, it probably happened in New York City. Reading the history of this city is fascinating and exciting, as if watching the people and the events, that traveled through the region and across the years.

This little ebook is an annotated timeline of the major events of this incredible city.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Catherine McGrew Jaime
• Release date: Oct 22, 2010
• ISBN: 9781452352008

Catherine McGrew Jaime

Historian, and Author, Homeschool Mom of 12

Book preview

Introduction

New York City – what a city! What a history! If it happened anywhere in American history, it probably happened in New York. Reading the history of this city is both fascinating and exciting; as if watching the people and the events that traveled through the region, and across the years.

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May this little booklet serve to interest you more in this unique and unusual city, and to give you a snapshot of American history.

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Before 1524

The Lenape/Munsee Indians (Algonquian language group) live in the area that will become Manhattan.

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1524

New York Bay is discovered by Giovanni da Verrazano (an Italian exploring for the French), while he is looking for another route to the Orient for King Francis I.

Giovanni de Verrazano

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1609

Englishman Henry Hudson sails up New York Bay to the (Hudson) River while searching for a water passage to the East for the Dutch East India Company. He is the first European to set foot on Manahtin.

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1613 – 1614

The first Dutchmen settle briefly on Manhattan Island.

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1621

Dutch merchants with the newly chartered Dutch West India Companyi claim the entire Hudson River Valley as part of New Netherlands.

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(Meanwhile the English are settling to the north in Massachusetts and to the south in Virginia.)

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1624 – 1625

One hundred and ten colonists (men, women, and children) settle near the harbor, establishing New Amsterdam and building Fort Amsterdam. The colony is officially Dutch, but many of the first settlers are actually French. The main trail into the fort is soon called Breede Weigh (which later becomes Broadway).

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1626

The Dutch governor, Peter Minuit, buys Manhattan Island from its Native American inhabitants for trinkets valued at anywhere from twenty four dollars to six hundred dollars!

Governor Peter Minuit

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The first slaves arrive in New York City from Angola.

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1632

After meeting for eight years in a borrowed space, members of the colony build their first church building – for the Dutch Reformed Church.

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1635

The village of Breuckelen is started by the Dutch (later called Brooklyn).

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1637

William Kieft becomes the new governor of the colony. He will not be a popular one!

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1639

The Dutch West India Company purchases land from the Indians, on the mainland north of Manhattan, in case New Amsterdam needs to expand its boundaries. For the time being, the settlers and Indians live in relative