History Manhattan

1 history

1.1 colonial era
1.2 american revolution , united states
1.3 19th century
1.4 20th century
1.5 21st century

history


colonial era

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


american revolution , united states

manhattan @ heart of new york campaign, series of major battles in american revolutionary war. continental army forced abandon manhattan after battle of fort washington on november 16, 1776. city, damaged great fire of new york during campaign, became british military , political center of operations in north america remainder of war. military center colonists established in new jersey. british occupation lasted until november 25, 1783, when george washington returned manhattan, last british forces left city.

from january 11, 1785, fall of 1788, new york city fifth of 5 capitals of united states under articles of confederation, continental congress meeting @ new york city hall (then @ fraunces tavern). new york first capital under newly enacted constitution of united states, march 4, 1789, august 12, 1790, @ federal hall. federal hall site united states supreme court met first time, united states bill of rights drafted , ratified, , northwest ordinance adopted, establishing measures adding new states union.

19th century

new york grew economic center, first result of alexander hamilton s policies , practices first secretary of treasury and, later, opening of erie canal in 1825, connected atlantic port vast agricultural markets of midwestern united states , canada. 1810, new york city, confined manhattan, had surpassed philadelphia largest city in united states.

manhattan in 1873. brooklyn bridge under construction 1870 until 1883

tammany hall, democratic party political machine, began grow in influence support of many of immigrant irish, culminating in election of first tammany mayor, fernando wood, in 1854. tammany hall dominated local politics decades. central park, opened public in 1858, became first landscaped public park in american city.

new york city played complex role in american civil war. city s strong commercial ties southern united states existed many reasons, including industrial power of hudson river harbor, allowed trade stops such west point foundry, 1 of great manufacturing operations in united states; , city s atlantic ocean ports, rendering new york city american powerhouse in terms of industrial trade between northern , southern united states. new york s growing immigrant population, had originated largely germany , ireland, began in late 1850s include waves of italians , central , eastern european jews flowing in en masse. anger arose conscription, resentment @ afford pay $300 avoid service leading resentment against lincoln s war policies , fomenting paranoia free blacks taking poor immigrants jobs, culminating in three-day-long new york draft riots of july 1863. these intense war-time riots counted among worst incidents of civil disorder in american history, estimated 119 participants , passersby massacred.

the rate of immigration europe grew steeply after civil war, , manhattan became first stop millions seeking new life in united states, role acknowledged dedication of statue of liberty on october 28, 1886, gift people of france. new european immigration brought further social upheaval. in city of tenements packed poorly paid laborers dozens of nations, city hotbed of revolution (including anarchists , communists among others), syndicalism, racketeering, , unionization.

in 1883, opening of brooklyn bridge established road connection brooklyn, across east river. in 1874 western portion of present bronx county transferred new york county westchester county, , in 1895 remainder of present bronx county annexed. in 1898, when new york city consolidated 3 neighboring counties form city of greater new york , manhattan , bronx, though still 1 county, established 2 separate boroughs. on january 1, 1914, new york state legislature created bronx county, , new york county reduced present boundaries.

the sanitary & topographical map of city , island of new york , commonly known viele map, created egbert ludovicus viele in 1865



20th century

manhattan s little italy, lower east side, circa 1900

the construction of new york city subway, opened in 1904, helped bind new city together, did additional bridges brooklyn. in 1920s manhattan experienced large arrivals of african-americans part of great migration southern united states, , harlem renaissance, part of larger boom time in prohibition era included new skyscrapers competing skyline. new york city became populous city in world in 1925, overtaking london, had reigned century. manhattan s majority white ethnic group declined 98.7% in 1900 58.3% 1990.

on march 25, 1911, triangle shirtwaist factory fire in greenwich village killed 146 garment workers. disaster led overhauls of city s fire department, building codes, , workplace regulations.

the period between world wars saw election of reformist mayor fiorello la guardia , fall of tammany hall after 80 years of political dominance. city s demographics stabilized, labor unionization brought new protections , affluence working class, city s government , infrastructure underwent dramatic overhaul under la guardia. despite great depression, of world s tallest skyscrapers completed in manhattan during 1930s, including numerous art deco masterpieces still part of city s skyline today, notably empire state building, chrysler building, , ge building.

victory on japan day in times square, 1945

returning world war ii veterans created postwar economic boom, led development of huge housing developments targeted @ returning veterans, largest being peter cooper village-stuyvesant town, opened in 1947. in 1952, united nations relocated first headquarters near queens, east side of manhattan.

the stonewall riots series of spontaneous, violent demonstrations members of gay community against police raid took place in morning hours of june 28, 1969, @ stonewall inn in greenwich village neighborhood of lower manhattan. considered constitute single important event leading gay liberation movement , modern fight lgbt rights in united states.

in 1970s job losses due industrial restructuring caused new york city, including manhattan, suffer economic problems , rising crime rates. while resurgence in financial industry improved city s economic health in 1980s, new york s crime rate continued increase through decade , beginning of 1990s.

the 1980s saw rebirth of wall street, , manhattan reclaimed role @ center of worldwide financial industry. 1980s saw manhattan @ heart of aids crisis, greenwich village @ epicenter. organizations gay men s health crisis (gmhc) , aids coalition unleash power (act up) founded advocate on behalf of stricken disease.

by 1990s crime rates started drop dramatically due revised police strategies, improving economic opportunities, gentrification, , new residents, both american transplants , new immigrants asia , latin america. murder rates had reached 2,245 in 1990 plummeted 537 2008, , crack epidemic , associated drug-related violence came under greater control. outflow of population turned around, city once again became destination of immigrants around world, joining low interest rates , wall street bonuses fuel growth of real estate market. important new sectors, such silicon alley, emerged in manhattan s economy.

21st century

flooding on avenue c caused hurricane sandy on october 29, 2012

on september 11, 2001, 2 of 4 hijacked planes flown twin towers of original world trade center, , towers subsequently collapsed. 7 world trade center collapsed due fires , structural damage caused heavy debris falling collapse of twin towers. other buildings within world trade center complex damaged beyond repair , after demolished. collapse of twin towers caused extensive damage other surrounding buildings , skyscrapers in lower manhattan, , resulted in deaths of 2,606 people, in addition on planes. since 2001, of lower manhattan has been restored, although there has been controversy surrounding rebuilding. many rescue workers , residents of area developed several life-threatening illnesses have led of subsequent deaths. memorial @ site opened public on september 11, 2011, , museum opened in 2014. in 2014, new 1 world trade center, @ 1,776 feet (541 m) , formerly known freedom tower, became tallest building in western hemisphere, while other skyscrapers under construction @ site.

the occupy wall street protests in zuccotti park in financial district of lower manhattan began on september 17, 2011, receiving global attention , spawning occupy movement against social , economic inequality worldwide.

on october 29 , 30, 2012, hurricane sandy caused extensive destruction in borough, ravaging portions of lower manhattan record-high storm surge new york harbor, severe flooding, , high winds, causing power outages hundreds of thousands of city residents , leading gasoline shortages , disruption of mass transit systems. storm , profound impacts have prompted discussion of constructing seawalls , other coastal barriers around shorelines of borough , metropolitan area minimize risk of destructive consequences such event in future. around 15 percent of borough considered in flood-risk zones.

on october 31, 2017, terrorist killed 8 people , injured dozen when took rental pickup truck , deliberately drove down bike path alongside west side highway in lower manhattan, killing 8 people , injuring dozen others before crashing school bus.