New York History (city)

From its beginnings as New Amsterdam, the city of New York has always been a commercial center of American life. It's now the largest city in the U.S.

The Strange Legacy of Aaron Burr

Few of the nation's founders have been marginalized more than Aaron Burr. Was there something more to the man who shot and killed Alexander Hamilton?

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Timeline

  • c.10000 B.C. - First people arrive on what is now the East Coast of the United States.
  • 1450-1600 - The Iroquois League is formed, uniting 5 tribes near Lake Erie and Lake Huron. The League becomes a powerful, expansionist force in the region.
  • 1626 - Manhattan Island purchased from Lenape tribe. New Amsterdam (now New York) had been founded a year earlier.
  • 1735 - The trial of John Peter Zenger in New York establishes important precedents for free speech and press.
  • 1777 - The Battles of Saratoga end with a decisive American victory, marking a key turning point in the Revolutionary War.
  • 1807 - The first steamboat line is opened between New York City and Albany.
  • 1825 - The Erie Canal opens and revolutionizes the New York and Midwest economies. New York City secures its role as America's commercial capital.
  • 1839 - The Anti-Rent War breaks out as tenants along the Hudson rebel against the vestiges of the Dutch patroon system.
  • 1863 - The New York Draft Riots are the largest civil disturbance in United States history.
  • c.1880 - Another great wave of immigration from Europe begins. Irish, Italians, Polish, Czechs, Slavs, and European Jews all diversify the nation's heritage.
  • 1929 - A steep crash in the stock market precipitates the Great Depression.
  • 1947 - Construction of Levittown begins on Long Island. It is the first mass-produced suburb and becomes an archetype for postwar development.
  • 1950s - The population of Buffalo begins a rapid decline, anticipating that of other industrial cities in the North.
  • 1969 - Stonewall Riots in New York become rallying point for gay community. The first Pride Parade is held on June 28th, 1970 to commemorate the one-year anniversary.
  • 2001 - Terrorist attacks topple the World Trade Center on September 11.