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Maritime History of the New York Harbor Area

April 3, 2025 by Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

Unlike early colonial enterprises founded on political or religious principles, New York’s development was prompted by trade. Early maritime commerce in the New York Harbor area began in the early 1600s, centering around the trade and barter for furs.

After the area was discovered by the Italian explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524, the Dutch began initial colonization of Manhattan Island, with the Dutch West India Company establishing a trading post of eight men in 1625 to help develop the fur trade. By 1650, New Amsterdam featured peoples speaking some 18 languages. [Read more…] about Maritime History of the New York Harbor Area

New York Harbor History: Furs, Flour, Slaves, Sugar and Shipwrecks

February 10, 2025 by Guest Contributor 3 Comments

Europe’s first exposure to the New York Bay was during the voyages of Giovanni da Verrazzano (1485–1528). An Italian from Florence sailing for Francois I, the king of France, he left European waters in January 1524 to find a route to China. [Read more…] about New York Harbor History: Furs, Flour, Slaves, Sugar and Shipwrecks

“Locusts of the East”: The Yankee Invasion of New York

March 9, 2024 by Guest Contributor 3 Comments

New York by 1820 was becoming a “colony from New England” to use the phrase of President Timothy Dwight of Yale. The “Puritan Pope,” as he was some times called, estimated that 60 to 67 percent of the people of New York had originated in the “land of steady habits.”

The few thousand Puritans who had established a new Zion around Boston in the 1630s were a remarkably energetic, prolific, and self-assertive people. The thin soils on the hilly lands, the harsh winters, and the stern theology of John Calvin created a distinct community spirit and shaped a unique character. [Read more…] about “Locusts of the East”: The Yankee Invasion of New York

Forest to Fields: Champlain Valley Agriculture History

April 7, 2012 by Editorial Staff Leave a Comment

A short booklet, From Forest to Fields: A History of Agriculture in New York’s Champlain Valley published by Cornell Cooperative Extension (CCE) of Essex County and the Lake to Locks Passage Scenic Byway highlights the rich history of the Champlain Valley with a focus on the region’s farms and fields. [Read more…] about Forest to Fields: Champlain Valley Agriculture History

Embargo Act of 1807

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