History of New York State

A Brief Chronology Part 1

Source
Chronology & Documentary Handbook of the State of New York. Ellen Lloyd Trover, State Editor William F. Swindler, Series Editor Oceana Publications Dobbs Ferry, New York 1978

1609
French explorer and geographer, Samuel Champlain, travels south from Canada an discovers lake which now bears his name.

Henry Hudson, Dutch navigator, discovers the mouth of the river later named for him and claims that area for Netherlands.

1614
The Estates General of the United Netherlands created a trading syndicate with three years trading rights in the region named New Netherland. Hendrick Christiaensen, constructs a trading post at Fort Nassau on Castles Island near Albany.

1621
Dutch formalize the trading venture in the New World through the creation of the agency to be known as the Dutch West India Company. The agency was directed to plant settlements in the region.

1624
First permanent settlement, consisting of Dutch and French Protestant refugees, established Fort Orange near present day Albany. Cornelius Jacobsen May, as company director becomes, in effect, the states first governor.

1626
Peter Minuit, as third governor, made the renowned purchase of Manhattan Island from Native Americans for an assortment of trinkets worth approximately $24. Since Native Americans did not believe that land could be owned individually, they likely thought they were merely exchanging gifts.

1629
Patroon system established which gave large land grants to men of influence. They were encouraged to create large feudal plantations where families would settle and farm the tract.
Feudalism -- the system of political organization prevailing in Europe from the 9th to about the 15th centuries having as its basis the relation of lord to vassal with all land held in fee and as chief characteristics homage, the service of tenants under arms and in court, wardship, and forfeiture. [Merriam-Webster On-Line Dictionary]

1630
Kiliaen van Rensselaer establishes community on the upper Hudson River. The community called Rensselaerswyck, now makes up metropolitan Albany. Lands were leased to tenants and equipment was supplied to establish farms, breweries, mills, and brick kilns. Fort Orange established as marketplace.

1632
Governor Wouter van Twiller begins expanding the Dutch claims in the Hudson valley. Van Twiller acquires land in Long Island, fortified the Connecticut River Valley and sent expeditions to the mouth of the Delaware River.

1636-1646
1636- Jacob van Curler purchases land on Long Island, settlers take up land along what will become Long Island Sound. 1638-Governor William Kieft alienates Native Americans by demanding payments, called tributes. 1641- Kieft forms Council of twelve men which becomes first representative council 1646- Community of Yonkers established.

1647
Peter Stuyvesant becomes last Dutch governor. He will hold office until 1664. Stuyvesant sets up a local council of nine representatives who immediately petition to Holland complaining of Stuyvesants

autocratic rule.

1653-1661
1653- In response to complaints against Stuyvesant the Estates General establish a burgher form of government in New Amsterdam. 1654- First Jewish colonist arrives from Holland. More arrive from Brazil the following month. 1654- Dutch annex New Sweden. 1657- Religious freedom granted Quakers.

1659- Dutch Reformed Church established in Kingston, then called Esopus.

1661- Arent van Curler establishes Schenectady.

1664
In settlement of a long series of commercial wars with England, New Netherlands is annexed to English New World holdings. English fleet takes control of New Amsterdam and proclaims it the new province of New York. Grant is given to the Duke of York, who will later become King James II

1665
Colonel Richard Nicolls, first English governor establishes a legal code which keep most Dutch laws, but terminates the feudal Patroon system land holdings. Long Island made independent from the settlement of New York, called Yorkshire. New Jersey, originally part of Dutch colony and the Duke of Yorks holdings is separated establishing a new colony. Claims to Connecticut Valley are dropped.

1668-1674
1668- Governor Francis Lovelace, 2nd English governor, buys Staten Island from the Aquehonga tribe, a branch of the Raritan Nation. 1673- Dutch fleet recaptures New York. 1674- English regain New York via Treaty of Westminster. 1674- Long Island conspires with Connecticut to become independent from New York. 1674- English governor establishes provincial assembly to placate dissident Long Islanders.

1679-1683
1679- French establish Fort Niagara in an effort to influence the Iroquois Nation. 1683 [October] First legislative assembly convened at Fort James [now the Battery]. Assembly drafts a charter which provides for religious liberties, jury trials and elective assemblies. First eight counties established.

1684-1690
1684- Five Indian nations recognize the supremacy of the English crown. 1688- French Protestant Huguenot refugees establish New Rochelle. 1688- Plans to create Dominion of New England threaten New Yorks existence. 1690- French attack Schenectady. Part of King Williams war in Europe.

1710-1733
1710- Governor Hunter encourages 2,500 Palatinate Germans to settle in Hudson Valley. 1713- Treaty of Utrecht ends hostilities with France, ending Queen Annes War. 1715 - Hunter approves law making all residents of Dutch descent citizens of the colony. 1731- French establish fortress at Crown Point anticipating next conflict with England. 1733 - Gov. Wm Cosby arrests newspaper publisher Peter Zenger, charging him with libel.

1736 1736- Governor Cosby dies without a successor. 1736- Absence of colonial executive combined with conflicts within the assembly result in the emergence of a colonial legislature which had powers comparable to the House of Commons. 1743- George Clinton becomes governor. 1743- Anglo-French war emerging in Europe. 1746- Clinton appoints Indian Commissioner who goal is to keep them loyal to England.

1746-1765
1746- French build forts in the Ohio Valley. 1746 - Clinton treats the Iroquois Nation poorly causing them to shift loyalties to the French. 1754 - Seven Years War begins in Europe. 1755 French build Fort Ticonderoga. 1755 French and Indian war begins. 1764 English Parliament taxes sugar. 1765 Colonial representatives meet in New York to protest the Stamp Act.

1766
Widespread revolt of tenant farmers, led by Irish immigrant William Prendergast, broke out in protest against denial of political rights and practice of evictions at will from tenancies. Governor Moore called out regular troops to suppress the Westchestermen, but anti-rentism continued to be a political issue for many years.

1774
April - When news of the Boston Tea Party reaches New York, citizens have their own party dumping 18 boxes of tea into New York harbor. May NY Committee of Correspondence calls for a Continental Congress to be held in New York. November Committee of Sixty formed to protest against English rule replacing a committee which sought to ask for grievances to be addressed.

1775
April 20 Colonial Assembly doesnt send delegates to the Second Continental Congress. May 20 Ethan Allen leads his Green Mountain Boys to capture Fort Ticonderoga. First act of rebellion against England in New York state. November 13 New York City occupied by the army led by Lord William Howe. How had defeated General Washington and the Continental army at the Battle of Long Island.

1777
April 20 Convention at Kingston completed work and adopted first constitution of the new state of New York. July 30 George Clinton becomes first governor. October 17 Surrender of General John Burgoyne and his army at Saratoga. First major American victory which will encourage foreign nations to loan the Continental Congress money.

1778-1784
February 6, 1778 New York ratifies the Articles of Confederation. October 25, 1781 Last battle of Revolutionary War to take place in New York with victory at Johnstown over British soldiers, Indians & Loyalists. May 21, 1784 At Governor Clintons urging, the legislature creates the University of the State of New York to support public education.

1787
New York appoints three delegates Robert Yates, John Lansing, and Alexander Hamilton to participate in a convention in Philadelphia to strengthen the Articles of Confederation. October 27 Hamilton, realizing difficulty in winning New Yorks ratification of the new constitution, publishes first installment of The Federalist.

1788- 1795
July 26, 1788 New York ratifies the new Constitution of the United States in convention at Poughkeepsie, by 30-27 vote. April 30, 1789 George Washington inaugurated first President of the United States at Federal Hall in New York City. 1790 First census shows New York states population at 340,120. April 6, 1795 - John Jay resigns as U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice to be NY 2nd governor.

1797-1807
1797 State legislature meets in Albany, formally establishing the city as the state capital. 1800 State population listed as 589,051. 1801 State constitutional convention held, no proposals were passed. July 11, 1804 Alexander Hamilton slain in duel with Aaron Burr across Hudson River in Weehawken, New Jersey 1807 Fultons steamboat travels from New York City to Albany in 32 hours.

1810-1820
1810 Population: 959,049. 1813 Ogdensburg was raided and looted by British-Canadian forces in War of 1812. September 11, 1814 Outnumbered American fleet defeat British flotilla on Lake Champlain. 1817 DeWitt Clinton, mayor of New York City, becomes governor. July 4, 1817 Erie Canal construction begins at Rome. 1820 Population: 1,372,812

1821- 1825
1821 New state constitution drafted, featuring universal male sufferage. 1822 Hobart & William Smith Colleges founded at Geneva. 1823 Joseph Smith of Palmyra reports visions which leads to the Church of Latter Day Saints. 1824 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute founded at Troy. October 26, 1825 Erie Canal completed. 1825 DeWitt Clinton re-elected governor.

1828 - 1836
1828 Martin Van Buren elected governor but resigns in less than 3 months to become President Andrew Jacksons Secretary of State. 1829 Fanny Wright & Robert Dale Owen start Working-Mens Party, Americas first labor party. 1831 First railroad runs from Albany to Schenectady. 1831 New York University founded. 1836 Union Theological Seminary founded.

1839 - 1847
1839 William H. Seward becomes governor. 1839 Anti-rent disturbances resume in the Hudson Valley and adjacent counties. 1840 Population 2,428,921. 1841 Fordham University founded in the Bronx. First Catholic college in state. June 1, 1846 Constitutional convention meets in Albany. 1846 University of Buffalo founded. 1847 John Humphrey Noyes founds the Oneida Community, a religious commune.

1848 - 1855
July 19, 1848 First Womens Rights convention meets at Seneca Falls; 300 attend. 1848 Millard Fillmore elected Vice President. 1850 University of Rochester founded. 1850 Population: 3,097,394. 1851 Several major railroads completed. Hudson River RR., Erie RR., Delaware RR., Lackawanna and Western RR. 1855 Suspension bridge over the Niagara River completed.