As with most currently populated areas in the eastern portion of the United States, the place we now call New York City was home to groups of American Indians prior to the arrival of Europeans in the 17th century. Giovanni da Verrazano was the first European to explore the region, but the Dutch established the first permanent settlements. As millions of former U.S. students can tell you, the city was originally known as New Amsterdam. In 1664, after the British conquered the city, it was renamed New York.

In the summer and fall of 1776, the area was the scene of the New York Campaign, an important series of battles early in the American Revolutionary War. For a brief time after the war, 1788-1790, New York was the capital of the United States. The city continued to grow and by the mid-19th century the population had exceeded 1 million inhabitants.

In 1898 a new charter was ratified, making New York City the combination of 5 buroughs, Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, and Staten Island. The following century saw increased growth of the city with a new influx of immigrants. In the late 19th century and early 20th century the immigrants were from Europe, then following World War II there was a large migration from the rural U.S. south.

Engineering advances in the 20th century allowed for buildings taller than anything built before. The Empire State Building and, later, the World Trade Center were once the tallest buildings in the world.

Probably the darkest day in New York history was September 11, 2001. The world watched as the twin towers of the World Trade Center collapsed as the result of a terrorist attack. Not surprisingly, the city has recovered and is planning new structures for the site of the Trade Center.