Statehood 1787

New York

New York's colonial history began with Dutch claims in 1609 and the establishment of New Netherland, an important fur trading colony conceived by the Dutch West India Company in 1621. In 1664, England seized the colony, renaming it the Province of New York after the Duke of York, brother of King Charles II, with English sovereign rule formalized by 1667 under the Treaty of Breda. British control lasted until the 1783 Treaty of Paris ended their claims following the American Revolutionary War. In 1787, New York became the eleventh state to ratify the United States Constitution.

Statehood
1787
Historic sites
6,591
Military engagements
601

Pre-contact era

The history of New York begins around 10,000 B.C. when the first people arrived. By 1100 A.D. two main cultures had become dominant as the Iroquoian and Algonquian developed.

Colonial history

In 1626, the Dutch thought they had bought the island of Manhattan from Native Americans. The colony experienced dramatic growth during the 1650s and became a major center for trade across the North Atlantic. The colonial population, not including Native Americans, was 4,301 in 1650 and 8,000 to 9,000 at the time of transfer to England in 1674. In 1673, the Dutch retook the colony but relinquished it under the Treaty of Westminster (1674) that ended the Third Anglo-Dutch War.

England's rule was established de facto following military control in 1664, and became established de jure as sovereign rule in 1667 in the Treaty of Breda and the Treaty of Westminster (1674). It was not until 1674 that English common law was applied in the colony. The Province of New York was a British proprietary colony and later a royal colony on the northeast coast of North America from 1664 to 1783.

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Overview
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The Land
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Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back millions of years.
LiDAR Terrain
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Conflict & War
The battles, raids and skirmishes fought near here, across every era of American conflict.
The Civil War
The Civil War on this ground, 1861 to 1865: who held it, and the battles, camps and regiments nearby.
The Soldiers
The men who marched from here in the Civil War, named and traced where the record allows.
Native Heritage
The Native nations who held this land, mapped across time from before European contact to today.
Settlement
Who claimed and held this ground, from Indigenous homelands through the colonial powers to the United States.
The Community
How the town grew, who came, and what kind of place it became, traced through the census record.
Rivers & Rail
The rivers, canals and railroads that connected this place between 1830 and 1911.
Notable People
The people born, buried or genuinely tied to this exact place, with their stories.
Historical Maps
Historic maps of the location layered over how it looks today.
Finds & Access
Museum objects tied to the area, and the laws on searching, collecting and access here.
Literature
The old books, county histories and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Spotlight
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Explore New York records

6,591
National Register historic sites
National Register listings ›
601
Military engagements
Military history records ›
4
Civil War regiments
Union, Confederate, USCT ›
12
Indigenous groups
Heritage records ›
226
Notable figures
Born in New York ›
77
Colonial-era events
1492 to early statehood ›
New York counties
Census population history ›
Sources

State history content adapted from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License. Historic sites data: National Register of Historic Places, National Park Service (public domain).

About New York

When did New York become a state?
New York was admitted to the Union in 1787.
What European powers colonized New York?
The territory that became New York passed through several colonial periods. In 1626, the Dutch thought they had bought the island of Manhattan from Native Americans. The colony experienced dramatic growth during the 1650s and became a major center for trade across the North Atlantic. The colonial population, not including Native Americans, was 4,301 in 1650 and 8,000 to 9,000 at the time of transfer to England in 1674. In 1673, the Dutch retook the colony but relinquished
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