Province of New York
Come visit our beautiful colony!
A Brief History
New York was originally colonized as New Amsterdam by the Dutch in 1626, but, in 1664, the British conquered the settlement and rechristened it New York. It is considered to be in the Middle Colonies region. The economy is largely based on agriculture and manufacturing.
Why New York?
- Not dominated by any religions! Religious freedom for Quakers, various dominations of Christianity, and Judaism!
- Good farmland, timber, furs, coal, and most importantly, iron ore!
- Lots of food production, including corn, wheat and livestock!
- Dominated by manufacturing and shipbuilding; plenty of job opportunities!
Geography
- Mountains in the northeast
- Lowlands from Lake Ontario along the Canadian border
- Atlantic coastal plain
- Has fertile soil and land that is suited to farming
Government
- New York has a governor and an elected assembly
- The Charter of Liberties gives free rights to all Dutch and English settlers
- religious freedom
- The colony is run by a governor (appointed by the King)
- some political freedoms: the right to elect the mayor of New York City, the chance to set up an assembly
- First state constitution to be adopted in 1777
- State Capital: Albany. Previously: Kingston, White Plains, Poughkeepsie, and New York City
Humans of New York
- Peter Minuit: Dutch colonist who bought Manhattan from the Native Americans, was the Protestant leader of the New York Colony
- Peter Stuyvesant: served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Amsterdam from 1647 until it was ceded to the British in 1664
Important Events: Don't Miss Out!
- Recent: Conquered by the British, no longer New Netherland!
- Upcoming: Fighting grounds of King George's War and the French and Indian War
- Becoming a royal province in 1685!
- Mark your calendars! Becoming a state on July 26, 1788!