History of New York

When Italian Giovanni da Verrazzano discovered the region in 1524, it was populated by the Lenape Native Americans. However, it was not mapped until Englishman Henry Hudsons journey in 1609. The first European settlement was a Dutch fur trading post, later called New Amsterdam, on Manhattans southern tip in 1613. In 1626, Peter Minuit started a long tradition of clever real estate investing when he acquired Manhattan Island and Staten Island from native residents in exchange for merchandise. The British conquered the city in 1664 and gave it the name New York, after the English Duke of York and Albany.

The British

Under British rule, New York Citys population grew from 6,000 to 20,000 by the end of the 17th century. Events in faraway Europe also affected the city. Wars between England and France started the practice of privateering, or legalis5ed piracy, which allowed Wall Street residents like William Kidd to seize enemy ships off New Yorks coast. During this period, New York City tolerated, some say even encouraged, the trade in slaves and a large and flourishing slave market was situated on Wall Street.

The 19th century

During the 19th century, immigration transformed the city. A far-sighted development plan, the Commissioners Plan of 1811, extended the city street grid to include all of Manhattan and in 1819 the opening of the Erie Canal linked the Atlantic port to the huge agricultural markets of the mid-western United States and Canada. The American Civil War brought much grief and despair to New York, but also great wealth as war profits rocketed. As the century went by, more technological wonders were put up in the city. Brooklyn Bridge, then the tallest and longest in the world, was built. The light bulb brought electric streetlights illuminating lower Manhattan. The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, was put up near The Battery.

Immigration

After the Civil War, immigration from Europe increased sharply, and New York became the first stop for millions in search of a new and better life in the United States. In the 1920s, African Americans flocked to New York during the great migration from the American South. The Harlem Renaissance was part of a larger boom time during the prohibition, which saw the construction of many skyscrapers. In 1925, New York City became the worlds most populous city, overtaking London, which had held that title for a century.

Modern times

The end of the Depression and WWII saw New York emerge with a new commitment to industry and building. The United Nations complex, completed in the 1950s, began the post-war boom. In 1972, the completion of the World Trade Center brought a major change to the lower Manhattan skyline. The 110-storey structures known as the Twin Towers fell on 11 September 2001, as a result of a terrorist attack.