An Algonquin people group called the "Lenape" were the first Native New Yorkers. Throughout the 16th century, Europeans began to explore the region of New York. In 1626, the Dutch came to live and work in a tiny settlement that they called "New Amsterdam." The settlement grew quickly, going from 300 people to becoming the second-largest city within the American colonies by 1760. By 1664 however, the British seized New Amsterdam and called the settlement, "New York City." By 1810, the city became one of most important trading ports for the nation. Its role was significantly important in the cotton economy. As the city grew, it continued to make infrastructural improvements such as orderly streets and avenues and providing clean water for the people that lived there. During the 1840-1850 an increasing number of immigrants from Germany and Ireland began to settle in and start their own economic businesses.
1685 New Amsterdam
Dutch SettlementNew York City finally became the city as we know it today as "the Big Apple" by the turn of the 20th century. All of the five boroughs were formed at this time. Despite the growth of the city, the 20th century was a struggle for New York because the damage that came as a consequence of World War II encouraged New Yorkers to leave. In the midst of the migration of the white population moving out of New York City, many immigrants from other nations began to settle within the neighborhoods. On September 11, 2001, New York undergo-ed a terrorist attack in which terrorists crashed the twin towers of the World Trade Center with two stolen jets. The buildings were destroyed and nearly 3,000 people were killed. The city of New York has been through much history and is currently known as the cultural capital of the United States with over 8 million people living in the five boroughs.
British Settlementhttp://www.history.com/topics/new-york-city