New Amsterdam becomes New York - Sep 08, 1664 - HISTORY.com New Amsterdam becomes New York Share this: New Amsterdam becomes New York Author New Amsterdam becomes New York URL Publisher A+E Networks Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrenders New Amsterdam, the capital of New Netherland, to an English naval squadron under Colonel Richard Nicolls. Stuyvesant had hoped to resist the English, but he was an unpopular ruler, and his Dutch subjects refused to rally around him. Following its capture, New Amsterdam’s name was changed to New York, in honor of the Duke of York, who organized the mission. The colony of New Netherland was established by the Dutch West India Company in 1624 and grew to encompass all of present-day New York City and parts of Long Island, Connecticut, and New Jersey. A successful Dutch settlement in the colony grew up on the southern tip of Manhattan Island and was christened New Amsterdam. To legitimatize Dutch claims to New Amsterdam, Dutch governor Peter Minuit formally purchased Manhattan from the local tribe from which it derives it name in 1626.

According to legend, the Manhattans–Indians of Algonquian linguistic stock–agreed to give up the island in exchange for trinkets valued at only $24. However, as they were ignorant of European customs of property and contracts, it was not long before the Manhattans came into armed conflict with the expanding Dutch settlement at New Amsterdam. Beginning in 1641, a protracted war was fought between the colonists and the Manhattans, which resulted in the death of more than 1,000 Indians and settlers. In 1664, New Amsterdam passed to English control, and English and Dutch settlers lived together peacefully. In 1673, there was a short interruption of English rule when the Netherlands temporary regained the settlement. In 1674, New York was returned to the English, and in 1686 it became the first city in the colonies to receive a royal charter. After the American Revolution, it became the first capital of the United States.

Related Videos Dutch Colonization Dutch and English Colonization in New England Although the Netherlands only controlled the Hudson River Valley from 1609 until 1664, in that short time, Dutch entrepreneurs established New Netherland, a series of trading posts, towns, and forts up and down the Hudson River that laid the groundwork for towns that still exist today. Fort Orange, the northernmost of the Dutch outposts, is known today as Albany; New York City's original name was New Amsterdam, and the New Netherland's third major settlement, Wiltwyck, is known today as Kingston. Unlike New York City and Albany, however, where the traces of colonization can be difficult to find, in Kingston, the history of New York's Dutch colonization is quite evident. In 1609, two years after English settlers established the colony of Jamestown in Virginia, the Dutch East India Company hired English sailor Henry Hudson to find a northeast passage to India. After unsuccessfully searching for a route above Norway, Hudson turned his ship west and sailed across the Atlantic.

Hudson hoped to discover a "northwest passage," that would allow a ship to cross the entirety of the North American continent and gain access to the Pacific Ocean, and from there, India. After arriving off the coast of Cape Cod, Hudson eventually sailed into the mouth of a large river, today called the Hudson River. Making his way as far as present-day Albany before the river became too shallow for his ship to continue north, Hudson returned to Europe and claimed the entire Hudson River Valley for his Dutch employers. After unsuccessful efforts at colonization, the Dutch Parliament chartered the "West India Company," a national-joint stock company that would organize and oversee all Dutch ventures in the Western Hemisphere. Sponsored by the West India Company, 30 families arrived in North America in 1624, establishing a settlement on present-day Manhattan. Much like English colonists in Virginia, however, the Dutch settlers did not take much of an interest in agriculture, and focused on the more lucrative fur trade. In 1626, Director General Peter Minuit arrived in Manhattan, charged by the West India Company with the task of administering the struggling colony.

Minuit "purchased" Manhattan Island from Native American Indians for the now legendary price of 60 guilders, formally established New Amsterdam, and consolidated and strengthened a fort located far up the Hudson River, named Fort Orange. The colony grew slowly, as settlers, responding to generous land-grant and trade policies, slowly spread north up the Hudson River. The slow expansion of New Netherland, however, caused conflicts with both English colonists and Native Americans in the region. In the 1630s, the new Director General Wouter van Twiller sent an expedition out from New Amsterdam up to the Connecticut River into lands claimed by English settlers. Faced with the prospect of armed conflict, Twiller was forced to back down and recall the expedition, losing any claims to the Connecticut Valley. In the upper reaches of the Hudson Valley around Fort Orange, (present-day Albany) where the needs of the profitable fur trade required a careful policy of appeasement with the Iroquois Confederacy, the Dutch authorities maintained peace, but corruption and lax trading policies plagued the area. In the lower Hudson Valley, where more colonists were setting up small farms, Native Americans came to be viewed as obstacles to European settlement.

In the 1630s and early 1640s, the Dutch Director Generals carried on a brutal series of campaigns against the area's Native Americans, largely succeeding in crushing the strength of the "River Indians," but also managing to create a bitter atmosphere of tension and suspicion between European settlers and Native Americans. Director General Peter Stuyvesant The year 1640 marked a turning point for the colony. The West India Company gave up its trade monopoly, enabling other businessmen to invest in New Netherland. Profits flowed to Amsterdam, encouraging new economic activity in the production of food, timber, tobacco, and eventually, slaves. In 1647, the most successful of the Dutch Director Generals arrived in New Amsterdam. Peter Stuyvesant found New Netherland in disarray. The previous Director General's preoccupation with the Native Americans and border conflicts with the English in Connecticut had greatly weakened other portions of colonial society. Stuyvesant became a whirlwind of activity, issuing edicts, regulating taverns, clamping down on smuggling, and attempted to wield the authority of his office upon a population accustomed to a long line of largely ineffective Director Generals.

Eventually, Stuyvesant cast his eyes upon the small settlements that had developed along the Hudson River Valley between Fort Orange and New Amsterdam. In 1652, 60-70 settlers had moved down from Fort Orange to an area where the Rondout Creek met the Hudson River, the site of present-day Kingston. The settlers farmed the fertile flood plains of the Esopus Creek side-by-side with the Esopus Indians, the original settlers of the area. Inevitably, land disputes brought the two sides to the brink of war, with both the Europeans and the Esopus Indians engaging in petty vandalism and kidnaping. In 1657, seeing the strategic practicality of a fort located halfway between New Amsterdam and Fort Orange, Director General Stuyvesant sent soldiers up from New Amsterdam to crush the Esopus Indians and help build a stockade with 40 houses for the settlers. Board by board, the settlers took their barns and houses down, and carted them uphill to a promontory bluff overlooking the Esopus Creek flood plain.

They reconstructed their homes behind a 14-foot high wall made of tree trunks pounded into the ground that created a perimeter of about 1200 x 1300 feet. By day, the men left their walled village, which Director General Stuyvesant had named "Wiltwyck," to go out and farm their fields, leaving the women and children largely confined within the stockade. The villagers lived this way until 1664, when a peace treaty ended the conflict with the Esopus Indians. Original layout of the Kingston Stockade Though no longer needed, the stockade was left standing well into the late 17th century, and wooden remnants of the wall were actually rediscovered on Clinton Ave during an archaeological dig in 1971. The streets of the original village, however, remain laid out just as they were in 1658. Although the wooden houses of original settlers are long gone, the second generation of homes, built by men like Sergeant Matthew Person , still survive.

These stone houses are fine examples of 17th-century Dutch stone buildings, and 21 still stand within the original layout of the stockade, listed in the National Register of Historic Places as contributing members of the Stockade Historic District . Many of these homes began as a single room with a loft above, and gradually expanded, but the simple limestone and mortar materials hauled directly from the fields outside the stockade are still quite visible. Direct links to the age of Dutch colonization, the sturdy construction of these houses have served generations of Kingston residents, and are still in use today. Although Wiltwyck, the second large settlement established north of New Amsterdam, grew quickly, the very successes of the Stuyvesant administration put New Netherland in danger. The colony was proving quite profitable, New Amsterdam had developed into a port town of 1500 citizens, and the incredibly diverse population (only 50 percent were actually Dutch colonists) of the colony had grown from 2,000 in 1655 to almost 9,000 in 1664. "Problems" with Native Americans were mostly over, and stable families were slowly replacing single adventurers interested only in quick profits.

New Netherland produced immense wealth for the Dutch, and other foreign nations began to envy the riches flowing out of the Hudson River Valley. The Dutch lost New Netherland to the English during the Second Anglo-Dutch War in 1664 only a few years after the establishment of Wiltwyck. Along the West Coast of Africa, British charter companies clashed with the forces of the Dutch West India Company over rights to slaves, ivory, and gold in 1663. Less about slaves or ivory, the Anglo-Dutch Wars were actually more about who would be the dominant European naval power. By 1664, both the Dutch and English were preparing for war, and King Charles of England granted his brother, James, Duke of York, vast American territories that included all of New Netherland. James immediately raised a small fleet and sent it to New Amsterdam. Director General Stuyvesant, without a fleet or any real army to defend the colony, was forced to surrender the colony to the English war fleet without a struggle.

In September of 1664, New York was born, effectively ending the Netherlands' direct involvement in North America, although in places like Kingston, the influences of Dutch architecture, planning, and folklife can still be quite clearly seen. Colonial New York It is interesting to note here the transition in this colony from Dutch to English rule. It has been claimed by a few writers that our institutions are derived from Dutch more than from English sources; but a little study into this subject will easily prove the contrary. The people over whom Nicolls became governor in 1664 were composed of three separate communities, each different from the others in its government; the Dutch settlers on the Hudson, the settlements on the Delaware, and the English towns that had grown up under Dutch rule on Long Island. Now these English towns during the period of the Dutch supremacy enjoyed far more liberal local government than did the Dutch towns on the Hudson. And in this one respect Kieft, who encouraged popular government among the English towns, was wiser than Stuyvesant, who opposed it.

1 These English towns held their popular meetings, chose their officials, and transacted other business after the manner of the New England towns; while in the Dutch towns there were no town meetings, no popular elections, the ruling officials forming a kind of close corporation with power to fill all vacancies and choose their own successors. As to which of these types came nearer being the model for our local government of to-day, no reader need be informed. When Nicolls became governor he made little immediate change in the general or local government except to adopt English titles for the public officers. To understand this two things must be remembered. First, the charter for New York, true to the Stuart instinct, made the Duke of York absolute master, and it made no provision for the people to take any part in their own government; second, it was practically such a government that Nicolls already found in New Amsterdam. With a ready-made machine at hand, why should he take the trouble to make a new one? He proceeded, however, to frame a code of laws known as "The Duke's Laws." These were intended at first for the English settlers only, but where later extended to all.

This code was borrowed largely from the laws of New England, with the two important omissions that there was no provision for the people to take any part in the government, and that there was no religious test for citizenship. It retained many Dutch features, and introduced a few new features. To the Court of Assizes, consisting of governor and council, sheriff and justice, was assigned the legislative and judicial power; but as the sheriff and justices were appointees of the governor, there was no popular government in the plan. But this plan did not prove permanent. The English portion of the colony clamored for representative government. The agitation continued until 1681, Edmund Andros being then governor, when the English population was ready to break into open rebellion, unless their demand for an assembly be granted. Accordingly the next year the duke promised the people an assembly, and the first one was elected in 1683, while Thomas Dongan was governor. This assembly composed of eighteen men elected by the people, now proceeded to adopt a declaration of rights known as the "Charter of Liberties," by which it declared the representatives of the people coordinate with the governor and council, and that no taxes could be laid without their consent.

It also provided that all laws be subject to the duke's approval. What might have been the fate of this charter under normal conditions we know not, as the conditions were suddenly changed. The duke's royal brother was suddenly carried off by a stroke of apoplexy, and the duke became king of England as James II. New York now became a royal colony, and the new king, who at heart despised popular government, refused to sign the Charter of Liberties, abolished the New York assembly, and sent Andros to govern the colony as consolidated with New England and New Jersey . Andros, with a council of seven men, was to govern nine colonies as a conquered province. We have noticed his career in Boston and need not repeat it here. The fall of his master from the British throne occasioned the immediate fall of Andros; but this did not bring immediate peace to New York. The colony was now about to pass through another exciting experience. But first, a further word is here in place concerning the sources of our present governmental system. Mr.

Douglas Campbell, in two large volumes entitled "The Puritan in England, Holland, and America," has taken great pains to show that we are indebted far more to Dutch than to English sources for our system, and his attempt to prove too much leads the critical reader to believe too little. It is true that the English race is more nearly related to the Dutch than to any other, and the English language resembles the Dutch language more than any other. It is also true that the Netherlands preceded England in securing religious liberty and in establishing free public schools; that the manufacturing of textile fabrics developed in Flanders earlier than in the island kingdom across the channel, where it grew up later largely through the migration of skilled workmen from the Netherlands; that many thousands of Dutchmen and Flemings, driven from their country by religious wars, made their permanent home in England. From these facts it will be seen that the influence of Netherlands institutions on English civilization must have been great; and it was probably still great on American civilization, because the Dutch immigrants to England nearly all became Puritans, and there is no doubt that Dutch blood coursed in the veins of a large per cent of the New England Puritans.

2 No doubt also the Pilgrim Fathers absorbed something from the Dutch during their sojourn in Leyden. But when all is said on this side it must be added, on the other, that in the seventeenth century English popular self-government was ages in advance of the same in the Netherlands. No better proof of this is needed than a glance at the colony of New York. It was the English towns, even under Dutch jurisdiction, that demanded and received a large measure of self-government; it was the first English governor that extended that great bulwark of Anglo-Saxon liberty, the jury system, to the Dutch settlers, who at first shunned it as a thing to be feared; it was the English population of the colony that clamored for their birthright -- an assembly and the power of taxation. During all this period the Dutch settlers in the main were passive in matters of popular government, and but for the coming of the English and the overthrow of Stuyvesant and his nation, New Netherland might have remained as despotic a government as was New France. Moreover, the New England free school system grew, not from Dutch models, but from the inherent character of the Puritan religion. In the face of these facts, how can Mr.

Campbell or any one contend that our institutions of to-day are derived from Dutch rather than from English sources? News of the accession of William and Mary and of the imprisonment of Andros at Boston created a great excitement in New York; and the militia, led by Jacob Leisler, a German merchant, took possession of the government. For two years Leisler, with the aid of his son-in-law, Milborne, governed the colony with vigor and energy. But he offended the aristocracy and the magistrates, who pronounced him a usurper. Meantime he took measures to defend the colony against the French and Indians, who had fallen on the frontier town of Schenectady, had massacred the people, and had burned the town. The Leisler movement was in part the outgrowth of the anti-Catholic wave that swept over England and her colonies during the reign of James II, and Leisler's vivid imagination greatly magnified the danger of a general religious war. He called for the election of an assembly to vote taxes for the pending war with Canada, but many of the people denied his authority and refused to respond. Leisler's next step was one that marked the beginning of great things.

He called for a meeting in New York of delegates from all the colonies to make preparations for the war, and the seven delegates that met, chiefly from New England, constituted the first colonial congress in America. 3 They took counsel concerning the war, which will be noticed in our chapter on Colonial Wars. The clouds were now darkening around the head of Leisler, and his career was almost over. In 1691 Henry Sloughter was appointed governor, and he sent his lieutenant before him to demand the surrender of the fort. But the lieutenant could not prove his authority, and Leisler refused to surrender. At length, when Sloughter arrived, Leisler yielded to his authority and quiet was soon restored. But Leisler's enemies were determined on his destruction. He and his son-in-law had been cast into prison, and Governor Sloughter, a weak and worthless man, was induced to sign their death warrants while drunk, tradition informs us. Before the governor had fully recovered his senses, Leisler and Milborne were taken from the prison and hanged.

Leisler had doubtless been legally in the wrong in seizing the government; but his intentions were undoubtedly good, and his execution, after all danger was past, was little else than political murder, and it created two hostile factions in New York that continued for many years. With the passing of Leisler the royal government was restored, and the people for the first time secured the permanent right to take part in their government, as in the other colonies, and, as in the others, the assembly steadily gained power at the expense of the governor, The royal governors sent to New York were, for the most part, men without principle or interest in the welfare of the people. A rare exception we find in the Earl of Bellamont, who brief three years at the close of the century as governor of New York, Massachusetts, and New Hampshire were all too brief for the people, who had learned to love him as few royal governors were loved. His successor, Lord Cornbury, was probably the most dissolute rascal ever sent to govern an American colony, not even excepting the infamous Sothel of the Carolinas. An event of great interest occurred in New York in 1735, known as the Zenger case.

Governor Cosby had entered suit before the Supreme Court of New York to obtain a sum of money and had lost. He then removed the judge and thus offended the popular party. Peter Zenger, the publisher of a newspaper, the New York Weekly Journal, attacked the governor through its columns and severely criticised his action. The governor was enraged at these attacks, and he ordered the paper burned and the editor arrested for libel. At the trial, Zenger was defended by Andrew Hamilton of Philadelphia, the greatest lawyer in America. The justice of the cause and the eloquence of Hamilton won the jury, and resulted in a complete victory for the accused editor. This was the first important victory for the liberty of the press in America, and with little variation this liberty has been held inviolate from that time to the present. A few years after Zenger's case had been disposed of, New York society was greatly convulsed by the so-called Negro Plot. This was a craze similar to the witchcraft delusion which had swept over Massachusetts half a century before. It had it origin in a general belief that the Spanish Catholic priests, in league with the slave population, were planning to burn the city.

The craze spread like an epidemic; the whole community went made, and before the storm abated, twenty-two persons, four of whom were whites, had been hanged, thirteen negroes burnt at the stake, and a large number transported. The craze soon passed away and the people recovered their normal senses. The account of this affair constitutes the most deplorable chapter in the history of New York. It is now believed that no plot to burn the city existed, and that every one who suffered on account of the delusion was innocent. The province of New York grew steadily to the time of the Revolution. Every decade witnessed the coming of home seekers in large numbers to the valley of the Hudson. French Protestants, Scotch, Irish , Scotch-Irish, refugees from the Rhenish palatinate, and others spread over the beautiful river valleys; but the great majority of the people were English and Dutch. By 1750 the population was probably eighty thousand and this number was more than doubled by the opening years of the Revolution. New York City was a busy mart indeed, containing some twelve thousand people in 1750, and more than five hundred vessels, great and small, plowed the waters that half surrounded it.

The city was the political, social, and business center of the province. Among its leading figures in winter were great landholders of the Hudson Valley and Long Island, who spent their summers on their estates. But the great middle class, composed chiefly of tradesmen of every grade, made up the majority of the population. Footnotes New york 1664 - MIDDLE COLONY AGENCY MIDDLE COLONY AGENCY When were they a colony:1664 Industry: shipbuilding, iron works, cattle, grain, rice, indigo, wheat State motto: Excelsior Founded by: Peter Stuyvesant Religious Aspirations & Reasons for finding: It was founded by the Dutch for trade and furs and became an English Colony in 1664. Purpose: Trade and profit Note: Set up as Dutch colony, taken over by English in 1664 Economy: Colonists made their living in a variety of ways: fur, lumber trading, shipping, the slave trade, and as merchants and tradesmen in the colony's towns. Most colonists were farmers, who cleared large acres of land by hand to grow crops. Corn was the most popular, since it could be eaten by people and animals.

Also grown was flax, wheat, vegetables, and tobacco. Some colonists mined for iron to send to England for manufacturing into finished goods. When you come to New York there are many jobs. Some jobs are printers, clockmakers, barbers, tanners, milliners, dyers, menders, or you could be in the shipping business. If you are interested in farming, there is squash, beans, corn, melons, grapes, apples, peaches, flax, rye, wheat, and tobacco. We also have ships, timber, iron, livestock, and fur. If you’re still not interested there is also venison, goose, wild turkey, mutton, raccoon, fish, and oysters. New York had hot, humid summers, and bitterly cold windy winters with much snow. The terrain was swampy near the coast and the Hudson River. Further north where mountains covered with forests. The ground was rocky and the soil was good for farming. New York is located along the Atlantic Ocean in the Middle Colonies. New York has mountains, plains, and rolling hills. There is a river that runs through New York called the Hudson River.

There are some Native American groups called the Lenape, Wappinger, Munsee, Mohican, and Montauk that live here. New York also borders Connecticut, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania. Before the English and other countries were there, the native Indians lived there first before Christopher Columbus had come over to America because he believed he was going to Asia the ground of new York was rocky but the soil around there was good once there was no rocks or trees around the soil. of course there was war with the Indians over land because the Indians wanted land to grow crops and mostly, the English were growing crops there like potatoes, tobacco, and corn. the English got this land because the owner of the land didn't want to fight because he didn't want his people to get hurt unlike the owner before him. New York has a governor and an elected assembly. The Charter of Liberties gives free rights to all Dutch and English settlers. New York also has religious freedom. The colony was run by a governor appointed by the king of England. He made all the laws, and there was little self-government.

Sometimes the colonist were able to gain more freedom, (the right to elect the mayor of New York City, the chance to set up an assembly), but these freedoms did not last long. New York adopted its first state constitution in 1777. It has been rewritten several times. The capital was variously located at Kingston, White Plains, Poughkeepsie, and New York City before Albany was selected as the permanent site in 1797. Religion: New York was situated between the Puritan colonies of New England and the catholic colony of Maryland, so the settlers were of many faiths. They had considerable religious freedom. Although minorities were numerous, it can be said that Protestantism was the main religion in colonial New York. This was because both the Dutch and the English were Protestant, and wanted their colonies to be Protestant too. Religion in New York during colonial times was often segregated and individualistic, however the fact that economic gain was the motivating factor of the colony's existence, many different religious groups inherited its promise.

Summary: *New Netherland becomes New York *Peter Stuyvesant was the leader, he surrenders the colony to England and the king gives it to his brother who renamed it New York (Brother: Duke of York) *Property colony Key: England wants to profit from the colony Peter Stuyvesant: Peter Stuyvesant (Political figure) Peter Stuyvesant, served as the last Dutch Director-General of the colony of New Netherland from 1647 until it was ceded provisionally to the English in 1664, after which it was renamed New York. Born: 1612, Peperga, Netherlands Died: August 1672, New York City, NY Education: University of Franeker Facts: Fact 1- Stuyvesant had served in the West Indies as governor of one of the islands, and for his good services there was appointed, in 1647, by the Dutch West India Company as the governor of their colony of New Amsterdam. Fact 2- He had lost a leg in the service of the company in the West Indies, but his wooden leg has done more to preserve his fame in history than any other one thing.

According to tradition, when the assembly of New Amsterdam went contrary to his wishes, he would stamp his wooden leg and roar at them Fact 3- (Cause) Stuyvesant brought to his work a determination to be "as a father over his children," and he immediately set about trying to reform abuses with a commendable enthusiasm. His despotic character and his blunt manners, coupled with his efforts at reform, soon won him many enemies. He tried to regulate the sale of liquor, and forbade its being sold to the Indians at any time, but his orders were disregarded. He attempted to regulate the fur trade so as to give the inhabitants of New Amsterdam a monopoly of it, but smuggling became prevalent. His severity in punishing those who would not conform to the Dutch Reformed church, and his refusal to allow the people a share in the government, increased the hatred which most of the settlers felt toward him. (Effect) war arose between England and Holland and English warships appeared in New York harbor in 1664, although the city was defended by a stone fort and 20 cannon, the people refused to resist the invaders. So Stuyvesant was forced to surrender the town to the English, and New Amsterdam became New York.

(Conclusion/Result) Stuyvesant returned to Holland, but when the Dutch West India Company blamed him for all of their misfortunes in the New World, he returned to America and spent the rest of his life on his farm, or "Bouwerie," as it was called in Dutch. Fact 4- Peters Stuyvesant, is an important figure in the history of New York City [earlier New Amsterdam], New York State and New Netherland. His name is still commonly used, especially in New York State, for street names, school names, building names, etc. Fact 5- Surprisingly, his ancestors no longer bear his name. His last direct descendant, Augustus Van Horne Stuyvesant Jr. died in 1953 at age 83 in New York City. A nineteenth century Stuyvesant descendant, Rutherford Stuyvesant, changed his name to Stuyvesant Rutherford in 1863 to satisfy the terms of a will. The paucity of descendants bearing his name may have something to do with the fact that Peter Stuyvesant has been blamed for turning over New Amsterdam to the British in 1664.

Fact 6- the citizens of New Amsterdam refused to help defend the city against a fleet of British warships. As a result Stuyvesant was forced to hand the city of New Amsterdam over to the British who promptly renamed it New York. Biography of him: Timeline | NY State Senate 1600's 1700's 1800's 1900's 2000's 1609 Exploring on behalf of the Dutch (Dutch East India Company), Englishman Henry Hudson sails what we now call the Hudson River. 1621-1624 Dutch (Dutch West India Company) establish colony called New Netherland. Settlements in this colony include New Amsterdam, located where Manhattan is today, and Fort Orange which later becomes Albany. The Dutch West India Company appoints "Director-General" as governor of New Netherlands and creates a council which advises the governor, votes on local regulations and has judiciary powers. 1653 Initial move toward self-government when a "burgher government," a municipal corporation, is set up in New Amsterdam. Governor Peter Stuyvesant appoints burgomaster and schepens (i.e.

aldermens), but retains authority to establish ordinances. In December of 1653, the governor dismisses demands for increased self-government from a delegation representing the settlers. 1664 In the Charter of 1664, New Netherland is claimed for England by King Charles II, who gives it to his brother, James, the Duke of York and Albany and later known as King James II. Under this charter for New York, the Duke of York has the power to establish laws, appoint officials, and make judiciary decisions that can only be appealed to the Privy Council in England. Eventually, the duke delegates many of his powers to his governors and establishes a "Council" which consists of important citizens who advise the governor. August, 1664 The English fleet arrives in New Amsterdam, and Dutch Governor Peter Stuyvesant surrenders to English Colonel Richard Nicolls who is eventually appointed royal governor by the Duke of York to oversee the New Netherland territory, which is now New York and New Jersey.

In 1664, New Jersey is gifted to John Lord Berkely and Sir George Carteret by the Duke of York, and in 1667, Nicolls returns a portion of New York land to Connecticut. 1665 Governor Nicolls denies request from English towns along Long Island for a general assembly, but establishes the "Duke's Laws" which include a system of local government that is eventually used by all of New York. 1668 Richard Nicolls resigns as governor, and Francis Lovelace takes over. 1673 -1674 The Third Anglo-Dutch War breaks out and while Governor Lovelace is away, the Dutch recapture New Amsterdam. Dutch Captain Anthony Colve becomes "directkor" and rules via military law. 1674 English retake New Amsterdam, when the Dutch and English come to a peace agreement. New Amsterdam is now known as New York City. 1674 -1681 Sir Edmund Andros is appointed by the king as New York's royal governor. Andros reintroduces English form of government, makes English official language, and recommends an elected assembly to the Duke of York, but he refuses it.

1681 When revenues drop because rebellious merchants refuse to pay import duties, the Duke of York's authority is challenged and he is forced to allow the creation of an assembly. 1683 Duke of York appoints new royal governor, Thomas Dongan, and directs him to call for a general assembly which would have the power to pass laws subject to the approval of the governor and the duke himself. October, 1683 Governor Dongan, his Council and delegates meet at Fort James in New York City and pass the "Charter of Liberties and Privileges" which establishes an elected Assembly to share legislative power with the governor and his Council. After the governor and Duke of York approve the Charter, this assembly under the British meets between 1683 and 1686. 1685 The Duke of York becomes King James II. During his rule, he rejects New York's Charter of Liberties and Privileges and in 1686 the Assembly is abolished. 1686-1688 New England colonies are combined by King James II into the Dominion of New England, and Edmund Andros is appointed governor of this area.

In 1688, an attempt to make New York and New Jersey part of the Dominion of New England fails. Upon hearing of King James II's overthrow, angry citizens in Boston imprison Andros, for suppressing liberties, and rebellious citizens in New York rise up against Andros' deputy who flees to England. Militia captains select Jacob Leisler to assume duties of commander-and-chief to protect the province of New York. Seizing letters sent by King William III, Leisler claims authority to rule as governor and restores a representative assembly. 1689 - 1763 French and Indian War March, 1691 Colonel Henry Sloughter, sent by King William III to replace Leisler, arrives in New York, assembles a new Council made of up Leisler's enemies, and puts Leisler to death. When Sloughter dies this same year, the Council selects the commander of troops, Robert Ingolsby, as a temporary governor until Governor Benjamin Fletcher arrives. The Council also re-establishes in essence the "Charter of Liberties and Privileges" of 1683 which sets up courts and local government.

April 9, 1691 The first permanent Assembly, also known as the General or Colonial Assembly, meets. 1700's 1708-1760 During this time period, New York begins to develop constitutional principles and procedures similar to those of England. Although the British government and its governors fight to retain power over New York, there is a gradual shift in power from governor to the Colonial Assembly when the Assembly gains more control over the administration of governmental finances and begins to control appointments. From 1746 to 1750 an important, political fight is waged between Governor George Clinton and the Colonial Assembly for power; although the Colonial Assembly asserts that they have supreme power over colonial government, they compromise in the end by agreeing that the Assembly shares sovereignty with the governor. 1764-1774 For the next ten years, British Parliament passes several acts taxing colonies without representation.

Among these acts are: the Sugar Act whose purpose is to raise money to pay off the French and Indian war debt; the Stamp Act which orders colonies to pay tax on all printed items directly to England, rather than to local legislatures, to fund English troops in America; the Currency Act which forbids colonies from issuing legal tender paper money; the Quartering Act which orders colonists to house English troops; the Townshend Revenue Acts which taxes colonists on a series of imported items including tea, paint, glass and lead to raise money for the administration of the colonies; and the Tea Act which places a tax on imported tea. As a result of these acts, angry colonists meet to write formal protests and organize boycotts. 1767 - 1769 New York's Colonial Assembly is temporarily suspended by the king when it votes not to comply with the Quartering Act. December 16, 1773 Boston Tea Party takes place. April, 1774 Angry New York colonists board ship in New York harbor and dump its cargo of tea. 1774 British Parliament passes series of acts including the Coercive Acts (i.e.

Intolerable Acts) which are intended to punish colonists for rebelling against previous acts and limit the colonists' freedoms such as self-rule. January, 1774 Colonial Assembly creates new Committee of Correspondence, a governmental committee, to communicate with other colonies regarding the Intolerable Acts passed by British Parliament. May, 1774 Alarmed by the closing of Boston's harbor by the British, the people in New York organize the Committee of Fifty-One which meets in New York City and moderately favors resistance. 1774 Local committees in New York select and send delegates to First Continental Congress, an intercolonial congress, which is held in Philadelphia between September 5 and October 6. The First Continental Congress asserts that colonists' have basic rights by formally refusing to obey the Intolerable Acts, recommends the need for local militia, and calls for local committees to enforce an agreement called the "Continental Association," whereby colonies refuse to trade with England until the restoration of their basic rights. November, 1774 New York's Committee of Fifty-One is replaced by Committee of Sixty.

April 3, 1775 New York's Colonial Assembly ends their meeting with a refusal to select delegates for the Second Continental Congress. April 19, 1775 At Lexington, the "shot heard round the world" starts the American Revolution. April 20, 1775 Set up by New York's Committee of Sixty, a convention, called the First Provincial Congress, meets in New York City and appoints New York delegates to the Second Continental Congress. April, 1775 New York's Committee of Sixty is replaced by Committee of One Hundred which calls for a New York Provincial Congress. May 10, 1775 Second Continental Congress meets in Philadelphia on May 10, 1775. After acknowledging that colonies are in a defensive position, the Second Continental Congress elects John Hancock as its president and appoints George Washington commander-in-chief of the new Continental Army. May 22, 1775 The Second Provincial Congress of New York meets in New York City to discuss a revolutionary agenda (e.g. defense, troops, supplies, and Loyalists).

Delegates to New York's Provincial Congress are elected by twelve New York counties, with the majority of delegates being Patriots instead of Loyalists. Although New York's Colonial Assembly still exists during this time period, the Second Provincial Congress meets at intervals and addresses revolutionary matters. October 19, 1775 New York's Royal Governor William Tryon, appointed to the position in 1771, is forced to leave New York City and stay on a British warship anchored in the harbor. As a result, New York's government "shifts" to the Provincial Congress and local committees. 1776 After William Howe retakes New York City, Royal Governor Tryon reassumes power and forces a new election of the Colonial Assembly. Tryon's bid to regain control over legislative affairs fails because new delegates to the Colonial Assembly are sympathetic to the Provincial Congress and their revolutionary efforts. Thus, the Colonial Assembly is suspended by Governor Tryon and never meets again. May 14, 1776 Chosen in April, the Third Provincial Congress meets for first time and addresses Continental Congress' proposal that each colony form a state government.

May, 1776 Before moving forward on the matter of state government, which would essentially declare New York's independence, the Third Provincial Congress of New York meets and calls for the people to confirm existing delegates to the Provincial Congress. July 2, 1776 New York's Fourth Provincial Congress meets in White Plains but cannot proceed since it does not have a quorum. July 4, 1776 The Second Continental Congress in Philadephia signs the Declaration of Independence, but New York does not sign it. July 5, 1776 New York's Fourth Provincial Congress meets in White Plains' Courthouse and endorses the Declaration of Independence. July 9, 1776 The Fourth Provincial Congress declares New York's independence. July 10, 1776 The Fourth Provincial Congress changes its name to the Convention of Representatives of the State of New York, and "acts as legislature without an executive." August 1, 1776 Chaired by Abraham Yates of Albany, a committee is created to formulate a government for New York State.

March 12, 1777 The committee submits a draft of state constitution to Convention of Representatives of the State of New York which then revises it. April 20, 1777 The New York State Constitution is adopted by the Convention of Representatives of the State of New York and read from the Kingston Courthouse in Kingston, New York. Under this State Constitution, three governmental branches are created: the executive branch, the judicial branch and the legislative branch which is made up of two-houses, including the Senate, with 24 senators elected every four years from four Senate districts, and the Assembly, with 70 assemblymen elected annually from 14 districts. This State Constitution calls for the election of a governor and identifies eligible voters. The governor and senators are to be elected by men who had a freehold worth 100 pounds above indebtedness and assemblymen are to be elected by men who are a county resident for six months, paid taxes, and either owned a freehold worth 20 pounds or rented one for 40 shillings. May, 1777 Convention of Representatives of the State of New York is disbanded.

June, 1777 A new governor, George Clinton of Ulster County, is elected. September, 1777 New York State Legislature meets in Kingston for first time. Between 1777 and 1783 the legislature meets in various places to avoid the British. After the Revolution, it meets in New York City, Poughkeepsie, Fishkill and Albany. September 3, 1783 American Revolutionary war ends when British sign treaty recognizing America's independence. 1786 New York State sends delegates to Philadephia's Constitutional Convention. National Constitution is adopted this year. 1790 First reapportionment acts passed when federal census indicates New York's districts in the west require more legislative representation. As a result, new senatorial districts are added. 1797 Although New York City, Kingston, Poughkeepsie, and Fishkill had hosted legislative sessions, the Stadt Huys building in Albany, is picked to house the New York State Legislature. Located in Albany where Hudson and Market Street cross, the Stadt Huys building also serves as the City Hall, County Court House, prison, and State House.

1800's 1801 First New York Constitutional Convention is held. As a result of this convention, the number of senators is increased to 32, number of assemblymen is set to 100, and provisions are instituted to review and address legislative representation following each census. 1809 Legislature moves into new building on State Street in Albany. 1812-1815 War of 1812, which essentially confirms America's independence from England once again. 1817 New York Legislature outlaws slavery by 1827. August 28, 1821 New York State's second Constitutional Convention is held in Albany. As a result of this convention, Senate consent is only required on important appointments. Voting rights are also addressed and extended to male citizens over 21 who hold property, performed military service, or worked on highways. 1825-1865 New York is known as the Empire State. 1846 Mexican-American War. June, 1846 New York State's Constitutional Convention of 1846 is held.

As a result, legislature's power is diminished with restrictions, senators and assemblymen are elected from a single district and the term of a senator is altered from four years to two. 1850 A "temporary" New York State Coat of Arms is adopted but it is rarely used. 1861 James Bell, a Senator from Jefferson County, suggests obtaining plans for a new Capitol. 1865 Capitol Commission is created to review designs for new capitol and to oversee its construction. The proposed design by Arthur Gilman and Thomas Fuller is accepted. 1867 New York State's Constitutional Convention of 1867 is held. Black suffrage is recommended but is defeated by convention. 1868 A quarter of a million dollars is appropriated by the New York State Legislature for the construction of a new Capitol. The Capitol Commission is warned not to exceed four million dollars on project. June 24, 1871 The Capitol cornerstone is laid. 1874 A three man commission replaces the Capitol Commission when it is estimated that over eight million dollars is needed to finish the Capitol. This new commission seeks advice from Henry H.

Richardson, Leopold Eidlitz and Frederick Law Olmsted, three reputable architects of the time. July, 1876 Fuller and Gilman are replaced by Henry H. Richardson, Leopold Eidlitz and Frederick Law Olmsted. Richardson and Eidlitz divide the Capitol, with Eidlitz designing the Assembly Chamber, Assembly staircase, Senate staircase, the Golden Corridor, and Court of Appeals court room, and Richardson designing the Senate Chamber, Executive Chambers, the Great Western staircase, the Lieutenant Governor's Office, and Second Chamber of the Court of Appeals. January 7, 1879 Escorted by Senate members, the Assembly moves into the Assembly Chamber in the new Capitol of which only one quarter is completed. The Senate uses the Court of Appeals room in the Capitol since its chamber is not finished. March 10, 1881 Escorted by Assembly members, the Senate moves into the Senate Chamber in the new Capitol. In the coming eight years, other rooms in the Capitol are occupied.

1885 The New York State Seal, which is the 1850's version of the New York State Coat of Arms, is declared the permanent design and "legal form." 1885 Governor Grover Cleveland enlists Isaac Perry to hasten the completion of Capitol. When Henry H. Richardson dies in 1886, Perry steps in to complete Richardson's plans. May 8, 1894 New York State's Constitutional Convention of 1894 is held. As a result of this convention, the number of senators is increased from 32 to 50 with no more than one-third of the senators coming from New York City and no more than one-half coming from New York City and Brooklyn.

In addition, the number of assemblymen is increased from 128 to 150, each county must have a minimum of one assemblyman with the exception of Hamilton and Fulton which are to share one assembly seat, riders cannot be attached to appropriation bills, state elections are to be held on even years and municipal elections are to be held on odd years, the Governor's term is changed from three to two years, and legislative bills are to be printed at least three days before their passage. January 1, 1899 Governor Theodore Roosevelt is the first governor to take oath in Capitol building which he declares is "completed." The Capitol structure took 32 years to build and cost 25 million dollars. 1900's March 29, 1911 In the early morning, a fire begins in the Assembly Library and sweeps through Capitol. This Capitol fire is attributed to the building's old electrical system. April 17, 1911 The Senate and Assembly move into the Capitol from Albany's City Hall, where they temporarily stayed due to the Capitol Fire. 1914-1918 World War I.

1915 New York State's Constitutional Convention of 1915 is held and makes 33 recommendations, all of which are rejected by voters. 1915 New York State Legislature gives women the right to vote, but voters reject bill. 1917 Voters approve bill giving women the right to vote. This is three years before ratification of the 19th amendment to the U.S. Constitution which extended this right nationwide. 1929 - 1939 In October of 1929, the stock market crashes marking the beginning of the Great Depression from which the United States does not emerge until 1939. 1941-1945 World War II. 1938 New York State's Constitutional Convention of 1938 is held and for the first time women take part. 1945 New York State Legislature passes laws establishing the New York State University. 1950-1953 Korean War. 1956-1961 State Legislature creates Temporary Commission on the Constitutional Convention which provides information to delegates on the State Constitution.

In 1958 the Commission is replaced with the Special Committee on the Revision and Simplification of the Constitution which makes recommendations for constitutional changes. By the end of 1958, this special committee is replaced by the Temporary Commission on the Revision and Simplification of the Constitution which also generates reports containing recommendations regarding the State Constititution. 1957 Every 20 years, as mandated by the State Constitution in Article XIX, voters are allowed the opportunity to vote for a Constitutional Convention. This year, voters reject call for Constitutional Convention. 1960 Office of General Services is established by Governor Rockefeller. 1961-1975 Vietnam War. 1961 Temporary State Commission on the Capital City (i.e. Wilson Commission) is created by New York State Legislature. A report by this commission recommends cleaning the exterior of the Capitol building and commissions the "South Mall Project" where state offices would be near the Capitol and Executive Mansion. January, 1962 New York State Legislature appropriates money for "South Mall Project" which eventually becomes known as the "Empire State Plaza." Construction on plaza begins in July with Wallace K. Harrison as the principal architect.

1964 New York State Senate and Assembly are ordered to reapportion districts by United States Supreme Court "since legislative districts needed to be approximately equal in terms of population." With this declaration: 1964 members are to serve one year based on old districts; in 1965 a special election is to be held and newly elected members are to serve one year; and in 1966 a regular election is to be held based on the new districts and new members are to serve regular terms. When the Senate and Assembly fail to reach a compromise on reapportionment in February of 1966, a commission is set up by the Court of Appeals to create a reapportionment plan. 1966 Capitol Building's exterior is cleaned. This process reveals an off-white, Maine granite. 1967 New York State's Constitutional Convention of 1967 is held. From this convention comes the recommendation to reassign the reapportionment task from the Legislature to a bipartisan commission, but this proposal is rejected by voters. January, 1972 The Legislative Office Building (LOB), which is part of the Empire State Plaza, is completed and houses the offices of legislators.

1977 Every 20 years, as mandated by the State Constitution in Article XIX, voters are allowed the opportunity to vote for a Constitutional Convention. This year, voters reject call for Constitutional Convention. May, 1978 Empire State Plaza is renamed Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza. 1978 - 1980 The Senate's chamber is restored to original state. Corridors and lobbies surrounding the chamber are also restored. 1979 New York State Capitol in Albany is declared a National Historic Landmark by the United States Department of the Interior. 1979 The Temporary State Commission on the Restoration of the Capitol is created by the New York State Legislature. Its recommendations include: restoring the Senate Staircase, Assembly Chamber, Great Western Staircase, the Assembly Staircase, Washington Avenue Lobby, Court of Appeals, Golden Corridor, and Red Room. It also recommends restoring the skylights; developing the Central Courtyard; and installing fire-safety measures in upper floors. 1990-1991 Gulf War.

1993 The Temporary New York State Commission on Constitutional Revision is created to spread information about constitutional reform and prepare voters for 1997 vote for Constitutional Convention. 1997 Every 20 years, as mandated by the State Constitution in Article XIX, voters are allowed the opportunity to vote for a Constitutional Convention. This year, voters reject call for Constitutional Convention. 2000's 2001 A major renovation of the Capitol begins. Restorative measures begin on various parts of the Capitol including the roof, Great Western Staircase, dome above the Great Western Staircase, elevators, and outside lights. September 11, 2001 World Trade Center is attacked in New York City. In the months to come, the United States deploys troops to Afghanistan to fight terrorism. September 13, 2001 Both Houses of the State Legislature meet in an historic joint session and adopt resolution condemning the recent terrorist attack. September 17, 2001 New York State Legislature passes legislation to combat terrorism.

(Chapter 300, Laws of 2001) Spring, 2002 Process of reapportioning the Senate and Assembly districts begins since districts must be reviewed and reapportioned every ten years based on federal census information. Using 2002 Census data and the formula in the State Constitution which determines the number of Senate districts, the size of the Senate is increased from 61 to 62 districts. January, 2012 Due to redistricting, new boundaries for congressional and state Assembly and Senate districts takes effect for the 2012 elections, increasing the size of the Senate from 62 to 63 districts. Today The New York State Legislature is a bicameral legislature, including the Senate with 63 senators elected every two years from 63 Senate districts and the Assembly, with 150 assemblymen elected every two years from 150 Assembly districts. Text Sources: David M.

Ellis, et al., A History of New York State, (Ithaca, New York: Cornell University Press, 1967); David Zdunczyk, 200 Years of the New York State Legislature (Albany Institute of History and Art, 1978); C.R. Roseberry, Capitol Story, (New York State Office of General Services, 1982); New York State Legislature, 100 Questions and Answers About the New York State Legislature, (Albany, New York State Legislature, 1976); Peter J. Galie, Ordered Liberty: A Constitutional History of New York (New York: Fordham University Press, 1996); Peter J. Galie, The New York State Constitution: A Reference Guide (Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1991); The New York State Assembly: an Historical Perspective (Albany: New York State Assembly, 1987); Paul Grondahl, "Raising the Roof," The Times Union (Albany, New York) 9 Dec.

2001: G1; "Prelude to Revolution," 2 May 2002 < "Conflict and Revolution," 3 May 2002 < "New Amsterdam becomes New York: The Beginning of English Rule," 2 May 2002 < "The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001: Andros, Sir Edmund," 2 May 2002 < "The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001: Nicolls, Richard," 2 May 2002 < "The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001: Tryon, William," 3 May 2002 < "The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001: Jay, John," 3 May 2002 < "The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001: Clinton, George, colonial governor of New York," 2 May 2002 < "The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2001: Intolerable Acts," 2 May 2002 < "The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition.

2001: New York, state, United States," 2 May 2002 < "War of 1812," 8 May 02 < "The Declaration of Independence," 21 Feb. 2002 < "America at War," 22 Feb. 2002 < "Timelines of the Great Depression," 2 Apr. 2002 < "America Over There in WWI," 1 Apr. 2002 < "The Cold War Begins," 1 Apr. 2002 < "Why is Korea Called 'The Forgotten War?'," 1 Apr. 2002 < "The History Place presents The Vietnam War," 1 Apr. 2002 < "Frontline: The Gulf War Chronology," 1 Apr. 2002 < . "The New York State Legislative Task Force on Demographic Research and Reapportionment Frequently Asked Questions," 8 Nov. 2002

Question: What was New York City called before 1664?
Answer: New Amsterdam