A Brief History of NYC

Thousands of years ago, a Native American tribe called the Lenape lived on an island they named Mannahatta, which means "land of many hills." They fished in the rivers, hunted deer in the forests, and gathered berries and plants. They built homes called longhouses and traveled by canoe around the rivers. It’s hard to imagine busy and crowded NYC as a forest, but as you walk around Central Park, you can still see many hills (and you might be surprised by some big hills as you walk around NYC today!)

The Dutch Arrive

In 1624, the Dutch sailed across the Atlantic Ocean in big wooden ships and started a new settlement. They saw this place was perfect for trading because it had great harbors. Harbors were and are important because they give ships a protected place to moor, as well as load and unload people and cargo. They called the new village New Amsterdam and eventually built a fort at the bottom of Manhattan to protect their new home. The Alexander Hamilton Customs House is now on the site of the old fort. The Dutch leader, Peter Stuyvesant, had a wooden leg and was known for being very strict!

The English Take Over

In 1664, something surprising happened - English ships arrived and took over without firing a single shot! They changed the name to New York City, after the Duke of York. The English grew the city with more people and opportunities by building more houses, shops, and churches. They even started a market called Wall Street (yes, the same one that's famous today!) which got its name because it was near a wall that used to protect the city. (Did you see the reference to Wall Street in the movie “National Treasure”?)

The American Revolution

The American Revolution was an interesting time for New York. George Washington and his troops fought battles here, though they had to leave when the British took over the city. There were many people who wished to remain part of England and loyal to the King of England- called “loyalists” as well as many people who wanted to make America a new country, free from England. After America won its independence in 1783, New York City got to serve as the first capital of the United States. That’s right- Washington, DC was not first or even second capitol of the Untied States. George Washington was sworn in as president right on Wall Street. You can see a statue of him still today in front of the building- Federal Hall. (New York City served as the first capitol, and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania was a temporary capital before Washington, DC.)

Growing Bigger

New York hit a growth spurt in the 1800s and early 1900s. Millions of immigrants came through Ellis Island, hoping for a better life. Many were scared and excited when they first saw the Statue of Liberty welcoming them to their new home and were not sure they would pass the medical and other tests to be able to stay. These brave people brought their food, music, and traditions, which is part of why New York has such amazing pizzerias, delis, dim sum restaurants, and more! The people who live in and visit New York City often enjoy the food and traditions of other countries which definitely helps those businesses to be successful. New York City has always loved people who dare to start and build businesses from food to clothes to trains and buildings.

While many of those people who arrived through Ellis Island stayed to make New York City their home, many more moved to different cities in the United States and brought their talents to build those cities, towns, farms, and more.

Moving Underground and Up to the Sky

In 1904, NYC got a move on - literally! The first subway train started rolling down the tracks. Today, there are 850 miles of subway tracks - that's enough track to run from New York City to Chicago! The subway helped the city grow even bigger because people could live further from where they worked and easily travel into the city for a low price.

NYC didn't just get things going underground - architects designed and workers then built incredible skyscrapers that seemed to touch the clouds. The Empire State Building was finished in 1931 during the Great Depression, and it gave people jobs when they really needed them. It was built in just 410 days - that's fast for such a tall building! Today, a similar building would take years - even with our technology and machines. Crazy, right?

Tough Times and Comebacks

NYC has faced a lot of hard times over the years, though, but has always come roaring back to success. During the Great Depression in the 1930s, many people lost their jobs. But New Yorkers helped each other out by starting soup kitchens and working together. The city bounced back stronger than ever. There have been other difficult periods - the 1970's and 1980's had a lot of crime and 2001 saw the attack on the Twin Towers. But NYC has come back from all of them better than ever.

The Five Boroughs

Today's New York City is like a huge puzzle made up of five pieces called boroughs:

• Manhattan: With its famous skyscrapers and Central Park

• Brooklyn: Known for its cool neighborhoods and the Brooklyn Bridge

• Queens: One of the most diverse places in the world, where people speak over 160 languages and there are TWO major airports (LaGuardia and JFK) AND the New York Mets baseball team

• The Bronx: Home of the New York Yankees and the real "Little Italy"

• Staten Island: The most suburban borough, reached by a famous free ferry ride

Fun Facts About NYC!

• The first hot dog cart appeared in NYC in the 1860s

• Central Park has 21 playgrounds and its own zoo

• The subway system never closes - it runs 24 hours a day

• Times Square was once called Longacre Square and was known for horse and carriage making

• Pizza became popular in NYC when Italian immigrants brought their recipes in the late 1800s

NYC Today

Today, New York City is home to more than 8 million people - that's more people than in 40 of the 50 states! You can find amazing museums like the American Museum of Natural History (with its giant blue whale, amazing new space exhibit, and dinosaur bones), the Metropolitan Museum of Art (and, by the way, art means more than paintings- you can find a weapons collection, suits of armor, an entire Egyptian temple, and more!), wonderful parks and playgrounds, fantastic shows on Broadway, and food from almost every country in the world.

The city continues to grow and change, but it keeps its special spirit of welcoming people from everywhere and helping them follow their dreams. That's why people still say "If you can make it here, you can make it anywhere!" (That last bit is a line from the famous song "New York, New York" which you're likely to hear at least once during your visit!)

Let’s keep talking about ways NYC Loves Me- and you!