The Italian navigator Giovanni da Verrazano may have been the first European to explore the New York region in 1524. More than 80 years later, Englishman Henry Hudson sailed up the river that now bears his name. But it was Dutch settlements that truly started the city. In 1624, the town of New Amsterdam was established on lower Manhattan. Two years later, according to local legend, Dutchman Peter Minuit purchased the island of Manhattan from the local Native Americans for 60 guilders worth of goods.
Few people realize that New York was briefly the US capital from 1789 to 1790 and was the capital of New York State until 1797. By 1790, it was the largest US city. In 1825, the opening of the Erie Canal, which linked New York with the Great Lakes, led to continued expansion. A charter was adopted in 1898 incorporating all five boroughs into Greater New York.
New York has always been and remains a city of immigrants. Patterns of immigration are integral to the citys history and landscape. Immigration, mainly from Europe, swelled the citys population in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. After World War II, many African-Americans from the South, Puerto Ricans, and Latin Americans migrated to the city as well. Because of the variety of immigrant groups, both historically and currently, New York is often referred to as a true melting pot.
Attractions of the City
Few New York sites are as awe-inspiring as Statue of Liberty . A century ago, Lady Liberty held up her torch to welcome immigrants to America. Today, you can climb 354-steps to look out from her crown to see both the New York and New Jersey coasts.
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