Colonial era Manhattan

peter minuit, 1600s



the castello plan showing dutch colonial city of new amsterdam in 1660 – confined southern tip of manhattan island

the area manhattan long inhabited lenape native americans. in 1524, florentine explorer giovanni da verrazzano – sailing in service of king francis of france – became first documented european visit area become new york city. entered tidal strait known narrows , named land around upper new york harbor new angoulême , in reference family name of king francis derived angoulême in france; sailed far enough harbor sight hudson river, referred in report french king big river ; , named bay of santa margarita – upper new york bay – after marguerite de navarre, elder sister of king.

it not until voyage of henry hudson, englishman worked dutch east india company, area mapped. hudson came across manhattan island , native people living there in 1609, , continued river later bear name, hudson river, until arrived @ site of present-day albany.

a permanent european presence in new netherland began in 1624 founding of dutch fur trading settlement on governors island. in 1625, construction started on citadel of fort amsterdam on manhattan island, later called new amsterdam (nieuw amsterdam), in lower manhattan. 1625 establishment of fort amsterdam @ southern tip of manhattan island recognized birth of new york city.

according letter pieter janszoon schagen, peter minuit , dutch colonists acquired manhattan on may 24, 1626, unnamed native american people, believed have been canarsee indians of lenape, in exchange trade goods worth 60 guilders, said worth us$24. figure of 60 guilders comes letter representative of dutch estates general , member of board of dutch west india company, pieter janszoon schagen, estates general in november 1626. in 1846, new york historian john romeyn brodhead converted figure of fl 60 (or 60 guilders) us$23. [a] variable-rate myth being contradiction in terms, purchase price remains forever frozen @ twenty-four dollars, edwin g. burrows , mike wallace remarked in history of new york. sixty guilders in 1626 valued @ approximately $1,000 in 2006, according institute social history of amsterdam. based on price of silver, straight dope author cecil adams calculated equivalent of $72 in 1992. historians james , michelle nevius revisited issue in 2014, suggesting using prices of beer , brandy monetary equivalencies, price minuit paid have purchasing power of somewhere between $2,600 , $15,600 in current dollars. according writer nathaniel benchley, minuit conducted transaction seyseys, chief of canarsees, willing accept valuable merchandise in exchange island controlled weckquaesgeeks.

in 1647, peter stuyvesant appointed last dutch director general of colony. new amsterdam formally incorporated city on february 2, 1653. in 1664, english conquered new netherland , renamed new york after english duke of york , albany, future king james ii. dutch, under director general stuyvesant, negotiated english produce 24 articles of provisional transfer, sought retain extant citizens of new netherland attained liberties (including freedom of religion) under new colonial english rulers.

the dutch republic regained city in august 1673 fleet of 21 ships, renaming new orange . new netherland ceded permanently english in november 1674 through treaty of westminster, in exchange run island, long-coveted last link in dutch nutmeg trading monopoly in indonesia.

this statue of george washington stands in front of federal hall (on wall street) inaugurated first u.s. president in 1789, sculptor, john quincy adams ward