New York: Biography of a City

Overview

There ’s no place in the world quite like New York City.  From Broadway to Wall Street, Little Italy to Central Park, New York has a history and an energy all its own.  Join Active Minds as we virtually visit one of the world ’s most important cities.  We ’ll explore the city ’s past and present, as well as the important people and places that have shaped this unique city.

Key Lecture Points

  • Long the most populous city in the US, New York City is a hub of American economic, financial, political and cultural history.  Located generally in a sheltered harbor where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean, New York is ideally located for trade and enterprise.
  • Once occupied by tribes of the Delaware Native American population, the area that is today New York City was first sited by Europeans in 1524 but not settled formally for another century when the Dutch established the colony of New Amsterdam in 1624.  In 1664, rival English forces took the promising colony by force and re-named it for the Duke of York.
  • English colonization (and continued Dutch commerce) brought to New York a bustling plantation economy (and the slave population associated with it) as well as a burgeoning trade in colonial goods (and the piracy associated with it).  By the mid 1700s, 20% of the colony were slaves.
  • During the American Revolution, the strategically located New York was swiftly occupied by British forces in 1776 and became a hotbed for Revolutionary spy activity, including Nathan Hale.  After victory, the American Commander George Washington re-occupied New York in 1783.  It would be the Capital of the fledgling United States from 1789-1790.
  • While not the seat of government (either Federal or State), New York would come to be the hub of American trade and enterprise in the 19th Century.  This status was solidified in 1825 with the opening of the Erie canal which connected New York with the expanding American West (and its resources via the Great Lakes.   By 1860, New York was exporting $150 million in goods per year, more than any other American port (New Orleans was second at about $110 million). 
  • The bustling economy made New York the destination for millions of immigrants, predominantly from Europe.  Beginning in 1892, those immigrants would first land at the Federal facility at Ellis Island.  Immigrant populations in New York would struggle in impoverished enclaves of the city, but would also give New York much of its international flair.  Additionally, waves of Black Americans would pour into the city seeking opportunity, bringing with them a culture that influences the city.
  • After WWII, New York would be the beneficiary of the United States’ unique position as the sole standing democratic industrial economy.  By 1950, 135 of the 500 largest corporations in the US were based in New York, including GE, US Steel and IBM.  Solidifying New York’s status as an international city was the placement of the United Nations headquarters in the city in 1952.
  • 2026 will mark the twenty-fifth anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks upon the World Trade Center.  Differences about how to memorialize such a tragic event resulted in both a memorial and new skyscrapers:  Two reflecting pools were approved for the footprints of the former buildings, along with gardens and walking paths.  The 9/11 memorial was completed in 2011.  The 1,776-foot Freedom Tower was completed in 2013.
  • In the years since 9/11, New York has witnessed many of the problems common to other major American urban areas.  It saw a possible preview of climate change from the impacts of Superstorm Sandy in 2012, as well as the challenges of a global pandemic in 2020.
  • In 2025, New York’s race for mayor scheduled for November 4 may prove to be a preview of tensions playing out in the American political system, particularly the Democratic Party after the 2024 election.

Discussion Questions

  • Do you think that cities should manage their resources to support economic and racial diversity?  If so, how?  If not, why not?
  • New York City used ranked choice voting in its 2025 primary.  Do you like or question this election method?
  • What portion of New York’s past and present most intrigue you and why?
  • Do you think that New York’s past and present are accurate measuring sticks for understanding the rest of the nation.

More to Explore

Books for Further Reading

  • Shorto, Russell, Taking Manhattan W. W. Norton & Co., 2025. 390 pages. History of the interplay of the Dutch and British leaders in 1664, and how the manner in which Britain took Manhattan set the stage for New York’s future growth and helped shape the U. S.
  • Peiss, Kathy. Cheap Amusements.  Temple University Press, 1986, 244 Pages. A great book about how working class women in New York around 1900 engaged the new leisure opportunities in the city.
  • Rosenzwig, Roy.  The Park and the People.  Cornell University Press, 1998, 644 pages. A social, political, and environmental history of New York’s Central Park.