A Brief History of New York

Author: George J. Lankevich (USA)
Translator: Xin Hengfu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-01-01
Features: If anyone still claims not to know New York today, they might be laughed at for living in the Stone Age. But has anyone truly understood New York? A Concise History of New York offers you an opportunity to learn about it. It describes the history of this world-famous city in concise and powerful language, condensing its centuries into essence. There is no reason not to read it. From the small Dutch settlement on the Hudson River four hundred years ago to its development into the world-renowned metropolis it is today, all is condensed in this concise history. The author captures the major events in the city's development; the selection and backgrounds of past mayors and their contributions or mistakes; the struggles of New Yorkers against municipal corruption and political fraud, providing a vivid picture of the city's growth in different eras. This is not a simple history book but more like a city biography. The author handles the thick, often dry, and complex subject matter with ease, transforming it into a highly readable narrative.
Excerpt: The British Town Becomes the American City The second stage of New York's colonial history lasted over a century, beginning and ending with armed conflict. James, Duke of York's private fleet seized New Amsterdam without a single soldier, marking the start of the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1665–1667). In this conflict, the Dutch defeated the British at Lostwithiel in 1665, causing Charles II and the Royal Navy great embarrassment, and repeatedly raided London docks during the two-year intermittent war, thus ending their overseas expansion. The endless warfare exhausted both sides' wealth, and on July 10, 1667, the Treaty of Breda was signed, bringing relief to all. Although both sides retained the "regions, cities, and forts" they had captured during the war, the Dutch still considered it a victory because they maintained their monopoly in the East Indies, and the British acknowledged their possession of Surinam. However, James's acquisition of New Amsterdam was also confirmed. Manhattan became New York and was ruled by Richard Nicolls (1642–1672) in the name of the Duke of James. Nicolls proved to be a popular and efficient governor, even earning the friendship of Stuyvesant. Wisely, Nicolls did not impose a completely new set of regulations but retained most local officials to appease the populace. British administrative methods and legal systems were gradually implemented as the town integrated into the British Empire. However, as New York flourished, rules from across the Atlantic, whether from Britain or the Netherlands, clearly were not suitable for this place. Therefore, in 1775, New York joined the other twelve British colonies and launched a revolution against Britain. Yet, during these decades under British rule, New York gained valuable commercial networks and trade experience. Under British control, New York rose inexorably, eventually becoming the primary urban center of the future United States.
The city Nicolls conquered in 1664 was predominantly Dutch, but these residents proved adaptable to changes in governance. Company employees, who had accepted Stuyvesant's autocratic rule and toiled under the Dutch West India Company, saw unexpected opportunities in the main consequences of British rule. Notably, no Dutch resident took advantage of the freedom to relocate offered by Nicolls; only the garrison that failed to effectively defend Fort Amsterdam was sent back to the Netherlands. In the early months of the transition, the only sign of the new regime was the public celebration of the Church of England's religious rites in September. Nicolls also encouraged large-scale construction of homes, churches, and shops, and in February 1665, allowed sitting town officials to name successors, a practice that had been common in the final years of Dutch rule. But more dramatic changes loomed after Nicolls issued the Duke's Laws on March 1, 1665. The laws included civil and criminal rules borrowed from the New England model, requiring town supervisors and a constable to be elected by vote in each colony town, establishing a local court system, authorizing the organization of militias, and guaranteeing religious freedom for all residents. In Hempstead on March 11, 1665, thirty-four representatives from seventeen British new settlements approved the colony's new judicial framework. New Netherland had never had a representative assembly, though the promises of the Duke's Laws could be suspended by the governor's decree, but the prospect of even limited self-governance was more appealing. Under this new framework, Governor Nicolls regained the right to appoint officials and named Thomas Willett as the first mayor of New York in June 1665. Willett was honest, much like the senior municipal officials Nicolls appointed—a quality rarely seen in the process of appointing rulers of New York until the 1830s. Nicolls closely monitored the actions of the city government and wisely appointed positions to influential citizens such as Nicholas Bayard, Jacob Kip, and Johannes De Peyster. Essentially, he tolerated the continued influence of the wealthy Dutch oligarchy in local affairs while subjecting them to British norms. This enlightened tolerance did not mean Nicolls lacked strict control over his colony. In fact, he seized the plantations and properties of the Dutch West India Company in 1664, citing the "various harms suffered by His Majesty's subjects" due to the long absence of its board members. During the Second Anglo-Dutch War, he also confiscated the lands of Dutch owners outside the city who refused to swear allegiance to the British king. Although Nicolls's land tenure reforms were well-administered and aimed at increasing revenue, they were enough to provoke resentment in an era of rising taxes. Even the New Englanders who moved to Long Island in search of richer land were annoyed by his innovative compulsory fees. In short, all colonists were resentful of high taxes and the Duke's arbitrary right to appoint local officials. Perhaps the greatest challenge faced by the British rulers who followed was their inability to understand the Dutch pride. A sense of self-respect and collective identity allowed the Dutch to maintain a powerful influence on New York for at least another century. When Francis Lovelace (1621–1675) succeeded Nicolls as governor in March 1668, he was surprised to find that the people of New York, though of many different ethnicities, liked to boast of their "royal blood." The society of Harlem was far from democratic, but its Dutch leaders remained united in resisting a condescending British master. Their economic dominance allowed them to live more luxuriously than their conquerors and they were determined to maintain this advantage.