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This page tells about the history of the New York Colony.
New York Colony
The New York Colony began as the Dutch colony of New Netherland before being taken by the English in 1664. Its location along the Hudson River and Atlantic coast made it an important center of trade, settlement, and transportation in colonial America.
Originally Settled by the Dutch
Giovanni da Verrazzano explored the area around present-day New York Harbor in 1524. The region was later explored by Henry Hudson and Samuel de Champlain in the early 1600s. Dutch traders began establishing trading posts in the region during the early seventeenth century, especially along the Hudson River. The Dutch called their colony New Netherland, and settlements developed at places including Fort Orange, near present-day Albany.
The Birth of New Amsterdam
In the 1620s, the Dutch established New Amsterdam at the southern end of Manhattan Island. Peter Minuit became an important early director of the colony. According to a famous traditional story, Minuit acquired Manhattan from local Native people in exchange for trade goods valued at about 60 guilders. The often-repeated claim that the island was purchased for "$24 worth of trinkets" is a much later interpretation rather than a precise description of the transaction. New Amsterdam eventually developed into New York City.
The English Take New Netherland
During the seventeenth century, settlers from several European backgrounds lived throughout New Netherland, and English colonists increasingly moved into parts of the region. England also claimed the territory based partly on earlier English exploration of the Atlantic coast. In 1664, an English naval force arrived at New Amsterdam and demanded its surrender. The Dutch colony was taken with little fighting, and the English renamed New Amsterdam New York in honor of James, Duke of York. Much of the former New Netherland territory became the English colonies of New York and New Jersey.
Why it mattered: New York's location along the Hudson River and Atlantic coast made it one of the most strategically and economically important colonies in British North America.
New York Colony Articles and Activities
- New Amsterdam Reading Passage and Critical Thinking Multiple Choice Questions - Printable
- New Amsterdam Reading Passage and Critical Thinking Multiple Choice Questions - Online
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