New York History Guide

The western part of New York had been settled by the six nations of the Iroquois Confederacy for at least 500 years before Europeans came. The Iroquois had maintained the area between Seneca and Cayuga Lakes as a grassland prairie, which abounded in wild game including grazing American Bison herds. In colonial times, the Iroquois were prosperously growing corn, vegetables and orchards, and keeping cows and hogs; fish were also abundant. The far-southern area around what is now New York City was long inhabited by the Lenape; Lenape in canoes met Giovanni da Verrazzano, the first European explorer to enter New York Harbor, in 1524. Giovanni da Verrazzano named this place Nouvelle Angouleme (New Angouleme) in honor of the French king Francois I. A French explorer and mapper, Samuel de Champlain, described his explorations through New York in 1608.

In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazano sent by France, was the first European to reach the New York Harbor. Henry Hudson, employed by the Dutch, sailed up the Hudson River in 1609 and there claimed land naming it New Netherland. The French explorer Samuel de Champlain traded goods among the Indians and claimed the same land for France.

In 1624 the first permanent Dutch settlement was established at Fort Orange (now Albany). One year later Peter Minuit purchased Manhattan Island from the Indians for trinkets worth about 60 Dutch guilders and founded the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam (now New York City), which was surrendered to the English in 1664. The region became New York.

The Revolutionary War began in 1776. Many New Yorkers disliked British policies. Others, called Loyalists, supported the British and persuaded the Indians to help fight against the patriots. Many battles were fought in New York causing over 30,000 people to leave the state during and after the war. During the revolution, four of the Iroquois nations fought on the side of the British, with the exceptions of the Oneida and the Tuscarora. In 1779, Major General John Sullivan was sent to defeat the Iroquois. The Sullivan Expedition moved northward through the Finger Lakes and Genesee Country, burning all the Iroquois communities and destroying their crops and orchards. Refugees fled to Fort Niagara where they spent the following winter in hunger and misery. Hundreds died of exposure, hunger and disease. After the war, many moved to Canada. Most, absent or present, lost their land after the war. Some of the land purchases are the subject of modern-day claims by the individual tribes.

On July 9, 1776, New York approved the Declaration of Independence and organized an independent government. The Articles of Confederation were accepted on Feb. 6, 1778. New York ratified the Constitution and became the 11th state of the Union on July 26th, 1778.

In the early 1800s, immigrants entered the United States through New York Harbor, at Ellis Island. Many people remained in New York City to work on the Erie Canal. During this time, more people lived in New York that in any other state.

The New York Stock Exchange crashed in October of 1929. The crash led to the Great Depression. Businesses closed and people were left without work. President Franklin Roosevelt, the New York governor, became the U.S. President. He successfully helped to organize building projects that gave jobs to many people. These projects were part of a program he called the "New Deal."

During World War II (1939-1945), factories produced large amounts of war materials. After the war, the United Nations established its headquarters in New York City. Two world's fairs were also held in New York.

Large hydroelectric projects were developed during the 1950s. In 1961, the Niagara Power Plant opened as one of the largest hydroelectric facilities in the world. Transportation also improved. In 1960, New York State Thruway, the world's longest toll superhighway, was completed. Many roads were constructed at this time, many stretching into Canada.

The Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts was also built during the 1960s. Julliard School of Music, the Metropolitan Opera, and the New York Philharmonic Orchestra are some of these famous institutions.

New York experienced a small depression in 1970. Many factories closed and about 600,000 people lost their jobs. Since then, the economy has recovered with growth in service industries. New York tourism and population has grown as well. The state ranks second only to California in the number of new immigrants it receives every year.

New York's extremely rapid commercial growth may be partly attributed to Gov. De Witt Clinton, who pushed through the construction of the Erie Canal (Buffalo to Albany), which was opened in 1825. Today, the 641-mile Gov. Thomas E. Dewey Thruway connects New York City with Buffalo and with Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania express highways. Two toll-free superhighways, the Adirondack Northway (linking Albany with the Canadian border) and the North-South Expressway (crossing central New York from the Pennsylvania border to the Thousand Islands), have been opened.

The great metropolis of New York City is the nerve center of the nation. It is a leader in manufacturing, foreign trade, commerce and banking, book and magazine publishing, and theatrical production. A leading seaport, its John F. Kennedy International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the world. New York is also home to the New York Stock Exchange, the largest in the world. The printing and publishing industry is the city's largest manufacturing employer, with the apparel industry second.

Nearly all the rest of the state's manufacturing is done on Long Island, along the Hudson River north to Albany, and through the Mohawk Valley, Central New York, and Southern Tier regions to Buffalo. The St. Lawrence seaway and power projects have opened the North Country to industrial expansion and have given the state a second seacoast.

The state ranks seventh in the nation in manufacturing, with 586,400 employees in 2005. The principal industries are printing and publishing, industrial machinery and equipment, electronic equipment, and instruments. The convention and tourist business is also an important source of income.

New York farms produce cattle and calves, corn and poultry, and vegetables and fruits. The state is a leading wine producer.

New York Famous People

• Susan B. Anthony (1820 - 1906) One of the leaders in the fight for women?s right to vote; lived in Rochester.
• Bonnie Blair (1964 - ) The only American woman to Win a U.S.-record five individual gold medals over three Olympic Games; born in Cornwall.
• Mariah Carey (1970 - ) Singer whose albums have sold  millions; from Huntington
• Shirley Chisholm (1924 - ) The first black woman to be elected to Congress and the first African American to run for President on the Democratic ticket; born in Brooklyn.
• Tom Cruise (1962 - ) Famous actor who has appeared in movies such as Top Gun, Rain Man and Mission Impossible; born in Syracuse.
• George Eastman (1854 - 1932) Founded the Eastman Kodak Company and invented the Kodak camera; born in Waterville.
• Julius (Dr. J) Erving (1950 - ) Famous basketball player who changed the way the game was played; born in Roosevelt.
• Millard Fillmore (1800 - 1874) Thirteenth President of the United States; born in Summer Hill.
• George Gershwin (1898 - 1937) Composer from New York City that blended different musical styles; famous for Rhapsody in Blue; born in Brooklyn.
• Mel Gibson (1956 - ) Famous actor that was born in Peekskill and moved to Australia as a boy; famous for Lethal Weapon, Braveheart, and many others.
• Michael Jordan (1963 - ) Basketball superstar who led the Chicago Bulls to six NBA titles; born in Brooklyn.
• Vince Lombardi (1913 - 1970) - Considered one of the greatest football coaches in history, leading the Green Bay Packers to five NFL Championships and the first two Super Bowl titles; born in Brooklyn.
• Herman Melville (1819 - 1891) Author of Moby Dick; born in New York City.
• Norman Rockwell (1894 - 1978) Famous painter and illustrator; born in New York City.
• Franklin D. Roosevelt (1882 - 1945) 32^nd President of the United States (1933-1945); born in Hyde Park.
• Dr. Jonas Salk (1914 - 1995) Developed the vaccine for polio; born in New York City.
• Elbridge G. Spaulding (1809 - 1897) A banker and former treasurer of New York State, Mr. Spaulding's financial expertise aided him in drafting the national currency bank bill and originating the legal tender act, which created national paper currency; born in Summer Hill.
• Denzel Washington (1954 - ) Actor that became well known on St. Elsewhere, and later in movies such as Cry Freedom and Remember the Titans; born in Mount Vernon.