Historical Settlement

Before Europeans came to New York City, the land was occupied by Algonquin Indian tribes, such as the Lenape. The first documented visit by a European was by Giovanni Da Verrazzano in 1524. In 1609, Hendry Hudson was working for the Dutch East India company and re-discovered the region as he sailed his ship into the New York Harbor. The Dutch settled in the area in 1624 naming it New Amsterdam, and in 1664 the British gained power and renamed the area to New York City. For the next century, NYC gained immigrants from France, Germany, England, and The Netherlands. During the 1840's-1850's immigrants were coming in from Ireland, Italy, and other countries in southern and eastern Europe. In 1895, the residents of the 5 boroughs decided to consolidate to become a greater New York City. Today, New York City has over 8 million residents coming from many different backgrounds, making it a very diverse city.