This timeline was produced by students in the Macaulay Honors College at CUNY, in collaboration with Professor Grayzna Drabik and Instructional Technology Fellow Dana Milstein.
This timeline, which describes places representative of Old New York, starts here.
Henry Hudson sails up the North River, now the Hudson River, and comes into contact with Native Americans in the area that is now known as Harlem.
The West Indian Company settled in the area of One Bowling Green and where Fort Amsterdam was built. "Even before that, [the US Customs House] sits on top of the site that used to be Fort Amsterdam, the administrative headquarters of the Dutch during British rule. The guns used for the original artillery battery formed what is now, appropriately named, Battery Park."
The Native Americans "officially" sell Manhattan to Peter Minuit.
Peter Claesen arrives at New Amsterdam from Holland at the age of twelve. "The house start[s] out as one room that [is] pretty small and [has] to fit the entire family." The house during this time had only one room. "The walls were made of hand cut timber. Insulation in the walls was provided using a technique called cobbing, which the Dutch learnt from the Indians. Corncobs were used in between the timber. Oyster shells were used as covering of plaster."
First Quakers arrive in New Amsterdam.
Thirty-one English Quakers signed a petition, known as the Flushing Remonstrance, demanding freedom of religion.
John Bowne and John Rodman purchased three acres of land adjoining a graveyard for the construction of a meeting house that would later become the symbol of religious liberty in America.
John Bowne and fellow Quakers in New Amsterdam built the Flushing Quaker Meeting House. It has been in constant use except for the temporary time during the Revolutionary War when it served as a stable, hospital and a storage place. Today it continues to serve its original purpose with its doors open for all. Silent Meeting for Worship is held on every First Day (Sunday) at 11 A.M.
The first of three Trinity Churches receives its charter from King William III of England. Although it had already been founded for over a year (1696), it wasn't until 1697 that it was an official church.
