9781422283639

Peter Stuyvesant During the 17th century, people settled in areas around Manhattan that later became the four other boroughs of New York City. At the same time, New Amsterdam spread north. In 1646 Peter Stuyvesant became the stern new governor of the town. He made it a city in 1653 and built a wooden defensive wall along its northern edge. Wall Street, in New York’s Financial District now marks the place where the wall stood. New York The British had colonies in North America and wanted New Amsterdam too, so in 1664 they sent four warships to seize the city. They succeeded easily as the Dutch West India Company did not defend the colony. The inhabitants of New Amsterdam did not oppose the British either, as they hated the strict laws that Peter Stuyvesant had passed. The British renamed the city New York after James, Duke of York, the brother of British King Charles II.

Peter Stuyvesant improved the New Amsterdam settlement in many ways, including building its first hospital and adding paved roads.

The American Revolution Many New Yorkers and other Americans did not want to be ruled by a British government far away in London. In 1775 they began a revolution,

led by George Washington , to end British rule. In 1776 the British won several battles in New York. They took over the city, but were defeated elsewhere and in

In 1783, when the defeated British troops had left New York, George Washington entered the city in triumph. ⌂

1783 gave up their North American colonies. In 1789, New York City became the capital of the newly formed US and Washington was sworn in there as the country’s first president.

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