New York State History
New York is the name for a city and a state. The city of New York is within the state of New York (NY).
This article is about the state of New York. To make this difference, sometimes people call the city, “New York City,” and the state, “New York State.”
New York was one of the first original Thirteen Colonies.
It was named after the seventeenth-century Duke of York, who later became King James II of England.
Related: New York State Facts
New York city is the most populous city in the world. It is seen as the financial, media and cultural capital of the world.
Funnily enough, it is not the capital of the United States or even the capital of the state of New York. The capital of the state of New York is called Albany.
Other cities in New York State are Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers.
The first populations
When the first European settlers arrived in the area now known as New York, they encountered the Algonquian and Iroquoian-speaking Native Americans who had been living there for several hundred years.
The first Europeans, who were Jesuit missionaries and French colonists, arrived from Montreal in the 1600s.
Then, in 1609, Henry Hudson was sailing for the Dutch East India Company who were, at this time, travelling around the world and purchasing land (colonising) and trading as they went. He used the Hudson river for trading.
In 1614, the Dutch established Fort Nassau, where the present-day city of Albany is now.
The English took the colony in 1664.
The most visited attractions
New York State and New York city are famous around the world and attract many visitors.
New York has four of the most visited tourist attractions in the world: Times Square, Niagara Falls, Grand Central Terminal and Central Park.
The famous Statue of Liberty is also in New York. The Statue of Liberty sits on Liberty Island and it was a gift from the French people to the people of New York in 1886.
New York is the capital of immigration. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty has been the first thing that new arrivals saw from the boats. To many, it symbolised a new home in America.
Quiz
What is the capital of New York State?
Who lived in New York before Europeans?
Where did Europeans arrive from?
What are the four most visited tourist attractions?
Who gifted the Statue of Liberty?