-Taylor Swift
We arrived at the Big Apple. The city of businessmen, crowds, and if you’re like me it’s the city of Jessie. Get ready mates because we are on a long ride through history.
1624– The first Dutch people settled on the land. The Hudson River provided transportation and a food source for many, in a way it was the best place to stay. Or at least in the summer…
1664– The English began to arrive and follow the settlement of the land. They named if New York in honor of Duke York. As they came from Britain, they were prepared. No brutal winter could scare them off. As history goes on a very important war unravels.
1765-1783 The American Revolution. New York played the biggest role, as it was the home of the Patriots. More than a third of all Revolutionary War battles were fought on this land.
1788– Suprise! Surprise! The patriots won creating New York into a state. A year later, on April 30, 1789, George Washington was made the first president at Federal Hall.
1830-1870. Following the American Revolution, the new country had a tremendous problem. Slavery. It is a dark side of history but it created the foundations of our current home. Many African Americans were brought in by the Dutch as well as the English. Considering that New York was part of the northern states, slavery was abolished there. That did not stop the southern states from containing their slaves. This led to the Abolishment Movement in the late 1800’s. New York played a big part by bringing states together to end this practice.
1850– New York consisted of 3 million citizens.
1883– The Brooklyn Bridge was built and opened. It was the first fixed cross-bridge of the East River. Architect: John A. Roebling.
1884– A year following the bridge, France gifted the United States the famous Statue of Liberty. It was a welcoming gift for the millions of immigrants who immigrated to New York. The US was considered a safe harbor for people who were not safe in their homeland. Whatever reason they came, all of them chose to stay.
1930– New York consisted of 9 million citizens.
1931– The tallest building was built. The Empire State Building.102-story skyscraper, as if you could touch the clouds. Its name was adapted from New York’s nickname the Empire State.
1973– The World Trade Center was constructed. The original structure had a complex of seven buildings.
1993– The World Trade Center was bombed by a terrorist group. Six were found dead.
2001– The ground shook. Everyone looked up to find the city turning to ashes. The planes crash into the twin towers. A sad moment in history, 2,996 dead. Let those souls rest in peace.
New York is one of the oldest states. It’s been through glory, pain, and misery. Nevertheless, we can’t take away its history. It shaped New York as it is. Without the incidents, we wouldn’t be able to recognize the city. New York still shines as bright as it’s first night.
9/11 memorial- https://www.911memorial.org/
Credit: https://www.history.com/topics/us-states/new-york
