• 1609 - Henry Hudson (1565-1611) English explorer and navigator discovered Newark Bay and establishes the Dutch colony of New Netherland

• 1614 - Captain John Smith (1580-1631) maps the coast

• 1638 - Swedish settlement led by Peter Minuet starting the the New Sweden Colony

• 1646 - Peter Stuyvesant (1602-1672) became Dutch Governor of the New Netherlands

• 1655 - The Dutch defeat the Swedes on the Delaware and Stuyvesant took possession of the New Sweden Colony

• 1664 - Charles II totally ignored any Dutch claims and gave the entire country to his brother James, Duke of York

• 1664 - The Dutch lose New Amsterdam to the British which is re-named as New York, after the Duke of York

• 1675 - 1677 King Philip's War so named after Metacomet of the Wampanoag tribe, who was called Philip by the English. The war was bloody and bitterly fought by the colonists against the Native Indians. During King Philip's War, up to one third of America's white population was wiped out. This war proved to be the final struggle by the Indians of New York

• For interesting information  refer to Facts about the New Hampshire Colony

Facts about the History of New York History - 1700's

• 1756 - 1763 - The Seven Years War (French and Indian War) due to disputes over land is won by Great Britain. France gives England all French territory east of the Mississippi River, except New Orleans. The Spanish give up east and west Florida to the English in return for Cuba.

• 1775 - 1783 - The American Revolution creates the United States of America. The Revolution was due to the British burden of taxes and total power to legislate any laws governing the American colonies

• July 4, 1776 - United States Declaration of Independence

• July 10, 1778 - France declares war against Britain and makes an alliance with the American revolutionary forces

• September 3, 1783 - The Treaty of Paris is signed by the victorious United States and the defeated Great Britain

Facts about the History of New York History - The Early 1800's

• 1812 - 1815 - The War of 1812 between U.S. and Great Britain, ended in a stalemate but confirmed America's Independence

Facts about the History of New York History - The American Civil War

• 1861 - 1865 The American Civil War. In 1859 John Brown raided Harpers Ferry and set in motion events that led directly to the outbreak of the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln, a known opponent of slavery, was elected president and in 1861 the South Secedes. The initial Secession of South Carolina was followed by the secession of Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. These eleven states eventually formed the Confederate States of America. The bombardment of Fort Sumter was the opening engagement of the American Civil War. The surrender of Robert E. Lee on April 9 1865 signalled the end of the Confederacy.

• 1865 December 6 - The Abolishment of Slavery. The Thirteenth Amendment to the U.S Constitution is ratified, thus officially abolishing slavery

• 1898-1901 The Spanish American War. On December 10, 1898 the Treaty of Paris the US annexes Puerto Rico, Guam, Philippines.

Origin of the name

• Named after  the Duke of York and Albany, the brother of King Charles II of England in 1664