Chapter Three - Settlement

European settlement began on 3 September 1609, when Englishman Henry Hudson, in the employ of the Dutch East India Company, sailed through The Narrows into Upper New York Bay, searching for a westerly passage to Asia.

Henry Hudson

Hudson's report on the abundance of beavers in the city, at the time a high end fashion trend across Europe, served as the impetus for the founding of Dutch trading colonies in the New World, including New Amsterdam, which would later become New York City.




The Dutch West Indies Company transported African slaves as trading laborers for the area.  By the late seventeenth century, 40% of the region's settlers were African slaves. After the English took ownership of New Amsterdam in 1664, officially renaming the colony New York, they continued to import slaves from both Africa and the Caribbean.

New Amsterdam

During the American Revolution, NYC came under the control of the British, becoming its base on the North American continent until the end of 1783.

New York City served as the new nation of the United States' capital from 1785-9 under the Articles of Confederation, as well as briefly served as its capital from 1789-90 under the United States Constitution that replaced it.

Beginning in the mid-nineteenth century, waves of new immigrants arrived from Europe, dramatically changing the composition of the city and serving as workers in the expanding industries.  Home to the infamous port, Ellis Island, NYC was the gateway for millions of immigrants to the United States, and thus, New York City served as the nation's busiest immigrant inspection station from 1892-1954.

Ellis Island

Throughout its history, NYC has served as a main port of entry for many immigrants, and its cultural and economic influence has made it one of the most important urban areas in not only the United States, but the world.









Works Cited -
http://www.ny.com/histfacts/settlement.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_New_York_City