Perhaps you’ve heard the story of Peter Minuit. He allegedly bought Manhattan Island from the Native Americans for trinkets worth 60 Dutch guilders. Welcome to Manhattan Island. This island is one of New York City’s five boroughs. It is coextensive with New York County. Manhattan Island is a vibrant place with a rich history.
Originally, Manhattan was part of Lenapehoking territory. Munsee and Wappinger tribes lived here. They had settlements and trails. The primary trail became Broadway. The name Manhattan comes from the Lenape language. It means “the place where we get bows”.
In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazzano became the first European to visit. He named the area New Angoulême. Later, Henry Hudson mapped Manhattan in 1609. The Dutch established a permanent presence in 1624. They built Fort Amsterdam in 1625. It later became New Amsterdam. This fort marked the birth of New York City.
English forces conquered New Netherland in 1664. They renamed it New York after the Duke of York. The Dutch briefly regained control in 1673. They called it New Orange. However, the English permanently reclaimed it in 1674.
Manhattan was central to the American Revolutionary War. The Continental Army retreated after the Battle of Fort Washington in 1776. The British occupied the city until 1783. New York City served as the capital of the United States from 1785 to 1790. Federal Hall hosted important events like the drafting of the Bill of Rights.
The 19th century saw New York’s economic rise. Alexander Hamilton’s policies boosted commerce. The Erie Canal’s opening in 1825 furthered growth. This canal connected the Atlantic port to Midwestern markets. By 1810, New York City was the most populous in the US. The Commissioners’ Plan of 1811 created Manhattan’s grid system.
Tammany Hall gained influence. It supported mayor Fernando Wood in 1854. Central Park opened in 1858. It became the first landscaped public park.
The Civil War deeply affected New York City. The city had strong commercial ties to the South. Draft resistance led to the New York Draft Riots of 1863. Immigration from Europe surged after the war. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated in 1886. It symbolized new life in the US. In 1898, New York City consolidated. Manhattan became one of its five boroughs.
The New York City Subway opened in 1904. It bound the city together. The Harlem Renaissance occurred in the 1920s. It marked a cultural boom. Skyscrapers like the Empire State Building redefined the skyline. The Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in 1911 led to safety reforms.
Despite the Great Depression, Manhattan continued to build. Post-war, developments like Stuyvesant Town arose. The United Nations moved to Manhattan in 1952.
The Stonewall Riots in 1969 sparked the gay rights movement. In the 1970s, economic decline and rising crime plagued the city. The 1980s saw Wall Street’s rebirth. However, Manhattan faced the AIDS crisis.
By the 1990s, crime rates fell. New sectors like Silicon Alley emerged. On September 11, 2001, the World Trade Center was destroyed. One World Trade Center was later built.
Occupy Wall Street began in 2011. Hurricane Sandy devastated the borough in 2012. Today, Manhattan remains a vital center. It continues to evolve.