Before the arrival of Europeans, the island of
Manhattan was inhabite by Algonquian and Iroquoian
Indians. " Manhattan" means island of the
Hills.
- In 1524 the first european to land here was the
Florentine Giovanni da Verrazano at the service of the
French King Francois I.
- In 1609, the british Henri Hudson arrived in Manhattan
and took the river which was named after his name.
- 1613-1614, the Dutch Adriaen Block establishes the
first colony in the south of the Island.
- 1624-1626 : The Ducth West India Company establishes in
Manhattan and in 1626 its director, Peter Minuit leased
Manhattan from the Algonquian Indians for only 60
guilders ( 24$). The region is baptised New Amsterdam.
- 1647-1664: Peter Stuyvesant as the General Director,
gives to the colony its first municpal government.
1664 : After Peter Stuyvesant surrender, the colony is
controlled by the british who rename it New York
after the Duke of York, brother of the King Charles II.
In 1700, the city's population is 4 000 residents and
mainly concentrated in the south.
New York becomes one of the most important trading place
in the North American colonies.
- 1776-1783 : Washington is beaten at the Long Island
battle. The british occupied New York during seven years
until November 1783.
In 1784 the city became the capital of New York and an
US State under the Articles of Confederation.
In 1789, georges Washington, elected the first president
of the United States, ( prete serment ) in the Federal
hall on wall Street.
In 1794, the streets' names are changed
Although the federal capital is Philadelphia, New York
with its extremely strong growth, becomes the most
important city in the United States.
Economic
Population , strongest density of inhabitants with more
than 125 000 people in 1820
Immigration coming from Germany, Irleland and Scandinavia
- 1811 : The Randell Plan divides the inhabited part of
Manhattan in 2028 ( rectangles ) into avenues and cross
streets.
- 1825 : the Erie Canal is opened, giving to New York a
shipping importance ( Grands Lacs + plaines du Midwest ).
- 1827 : New York abolishes slavery
- 1840: the city goes to 20th street.
- 1840-1857 : the German and Irish immigration
increases.( S'intensifie ).
- 1860 : 50th street
- 1861-1865 : Secession war
- 1857-1873 : construction of Central Park
- 1870: Metropiltan Museum of Art foundation
Industrial and commercial growth. Large wawes of
immigration. The population exceeds 1 million of persons
in 1875. Wall Street becomes the center of banking,
finance and insurance of the United States. Between 1880
and 1884 some 2 million of persons arrived in New York
from Southern and Eastern Europe. New York became the
largest Jewish community in the World, mainly fleing
Russian pogroms.
- 1883 : Brooklyn Bridge ( East River ).
-1886: Statute of Liberty's inauguration
- 1898 : Creation of the Greater New York with the 5
boroughs becoming part of New York : Manhattan, Brooklyn,
The Bronx, Queens and Staten Island
- 1904 : first metro
-1907 : the immigration is at its highest level
-1900-1914 : African Americans concentrate in Harlem
-1916 : Zoning Law rules the high of skycrapers.
-1921 : First law that fixes quotas for immigration
-1919-1933 : Prohibition
-24 october 1929 : Black Thursday begins after the
roaring 20's the time of the Great Depression
During the World War II, New York becomes the busiest
harbour in the World, reflecting the economic growth
renewal
Just after the second World War, the United Nations
establish their Headquarters in Manhattan ( 1946 ).
1950s : New wawes of immigrants - Puerto Rico and Asia
New York a American cultural Avant Garde starts to
replace Paris as the epicenter of the international art
scene.
- 1960s : Racial tensions in Harlem and in
Bedford-Stuyvesent
- 1965 : Malcom X assassination in Harlem
- 1970: First New York's Marathon
- 1973 : The World Trade Centre higher than the Empire
State Building
-1975: The city is very close to the Bankruptcy and
obliges to get help from the Federal Government to assume
the debts.
-1986 : Corruption scandal at the City Hall during Ed
Koch third ( mandat ).
-1989 : David Dinkins is the Black Mayor elected.
-1989-1993 : Economic crisis in New York which looses
almost 400 000 jobs, high level of criminality.
The racial tensions increase during this period.
-1993 : the Republican Rudolph Guiliani is elected at the
head of the City Hall, which has been dominated by the
Democrats for the last 20 years.
Since 1994 the city is experiencing a renewal and the
criminality's rate has raised down.
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