Discovery and Early Occupation of New York City
On a crisp September day in 1609, the indigenous inhabitants near Sandy Hook, where the Lower Bay’s waters meet the vast Atlantic, witnessed an unprecedented sight. An object of unimaginable scale and form glided effortlessly across the water’s surface. This remarkable entity, seemingly propelled by its own volition, navigated the passage from the boundless ocean into the serene bay. It advanced a considerable distance before coming to an abrupt halt, remaining motionless, a spectacle that captivated the attention of all who beheld it.
The Native Americans, awestruck by this extraordinary apparition, were filled with a sense of profound wonder and superstitious reverence. They speculated that this enigmatic visitor might be a denizen of another realm, a being from the distant, mysterious lands beyond the seas, about which they had only heard fragmented and unreliable tales. Some even dared to consider the possibility that the Great Spirit himself had chosen this extraordinary manner to visit his children dwelling in the wilderness.
The vessel that breached the uncharted waters of New York Bay was the Half Moon, a Dutch-registered ship under the command of Henry Hudson. Though an Englishman by birth, Hudson sailed under the flag of the Dutch East India Company, embarking on a voyage that would forever etch his name in the annals of exploration.
Prior to this pivotal voyage, Hudson had already demonstrated his maritime prowess. Three years earlier, under the English flag, he had charted the western coast of Greenland and ventured into the icy expanse of the Northern Ocean in pursuit of a passage linking the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Two years later, he renewed his endeavor to discover a northwest passage to India, yet again meeting with failure. These unsuccessful ventures dampened the enthusiasm of the London merchants who had initially supported him. However, the Dutch remained undeterred, recognizing Hudson’s exceptional skills and unwavering determination.
Hudson commenced his historic voyage on April 4, 1609. Charting a more southerly course than his previous attempts, he bypassed Newfoundland, sailed along the southern coast of Nova Scotia, and anchored near the mouth of the Penobscot River. Continuing southward, he encountered Cape Cod, Massachusetts, claiming it for the Dutch and christening it New Holland.
As Hudson progressed southwestward, he realized that he was nearing the settlements of his fellow countrymen in Virginia. Consequently, he altered his course to the northwest, intent on exploring the unknown waters in hopes of discovering a navigable passage to the South Sea. It was during this leg of the voyage, after five months at sea, that Hudson entered the inland waters of the North American coast’s central region, commencing the discoveries that would solidify his legacy.
The indigenous peoples who inhabited the shores of this newly encountered land were initially intimidated by the Half Moon‘s imposing presence. However, they soon overcame their trepidation, and amicable interactions between the vessel and the shoreline began to unfold. Hudson and his crew spent a week at their initial anchorage. On September 11, after navigating through the Narrows, they reached the strait connecting the lower and upper bays. Hudson became the first European to explore this secluded region and the river that now bears his name. After ten days of meticulously exploring the river, he cautiously traversed the vast expanse of Tappan Bay and navigated the narrow passage of the Highlands, eventually reaching the location where the city of Hudson, New York, would later emerge. He then turned back toward the ocean.
The question of whether Hudson and his crew were truly the first Europeans to enter New York Bay has been subject to debate. Legend suggests that the Welsh Prince Madoc may have reached this coast and sailed within these waters long before Hudson. More credible claims assert that Giovanni da Verrazano, an Italian navigator employed by France, explored the harbor almost a century before Hudson’s voyage. Some accounts also suggest that individuals employed by the Dutch Greenland Company sought refuge in this area around 1598, seeking shelter during the harsh winter months.
The newly discovered landscape undeniably left a lasting impression on the explorers, who provided glowing accounts of the land’s beauty and potential. The island of Manhattan, in particular, captivated their senses.
The discoverers described it: "The island of Manhattan spread wide before them, like some sweet vision of fancy or some fair creation of industrious magic. Its hills of smiling green swelled gently one above another, crowned with lofty trees of luxuriant growth, some pointing their tapering foliage toward the gloriously transparent clouds, and others loaded with a verdant burden of clambering vines, bowing their branches to the earth, that was covered with flowers. On the gentle declivities of the hills were scattered in gay profusion, the dogwood, the sumac, and the wild briar, whose scarlet berries and white blossoms glowed brightly among the deep green of the surrounding foliage, and here and there, a circling column of smoke rising from the little glens that opened along the shore, seemed to promise the weary voyagers a welcome at the hands of their fellow-creatures."
The land was inhabited by scattered bands of Mohegan along the Hudson River’s banks, and the Manhattan, a smaller tribe, resided on the eastern bank near the river’s mouth. These nomadic natives were not formidable warriors, existing in harmony with the surrounding wilderness and not actively cultivating the land. Their dwellings were rudimentary, and their diet consisted of roots, wild fruits, and small game.
The entrance to Lower Bay and the Narrows lies through a broad passage of more than four fathoms depth at low tide. The drifting sands of Coney Island mark the eastern boundary, while a long sandbar projecting from the mainland, now known as Sandy Hook, defines the western edge. Immediately within the bar, the waters expand westward, forming a spacious inland bay that extends deep into the surrounding landscape. The land in front, though part of the continent, is effectively an island, separated from the mainland by a narrow channel of water – Staten Island. To the east of Staten Island is a long channel that separates it from Long Island, connecting the Lower Bay with the harbor, or Upper Bay. This channel, known as the Narrows, is the primary communication route to the ocean from New York Bay. The shore of Long Island borders its eastern edge, featuring a low, sandy beach in the south and a fertile tract elevated more than a hundred feet above the water further north.
Approaching from the Narrows, New York Bay presents a breathtaking panorama of land and water. A vast expanse of water stretches out in every direction, with jutting shores and distant headlands creating a sense of depth and mystery. To the left, the upper reaches of Staten Island extend westward, forming the base of the scenic composition. In front, slightly to the left, the blue shores of New Jersey rise, with the hills of Hoboken discernible in the distance. Directly to the west, the waters open into a deep inland bay, now called Newark Bay, separated from New York Bay by a low and broad peninsula known as Elizabethtown Point. Two small islands, Bedlow (now Liberty Island) and Ellis Island, appear as green specks rising from the water, enhancing the beauty of the surrounding scenery. Immediately ahead, the majestic Hudson River stretches far into the interior, an arm of the sea capable of accommodating the world’s largest navies. To the right, beyond Long Island, which rises in a steep headland, lies Governor’s Island, a verdant islet that continues the long ledge of rocks underlying Manhattan Island. Governor’s Island, less than a mile in circumference and only a few feet above high water, sits at the mouth of the channel entering from the east, dividing it into two parts. Further on, the rocky projection of Manhattan Island emerges, once a desolate region but now the heart of commerce and home to the countless people who comprise the Empire City of America.
The East River and Hurlgate Channel, opening to the right and separating Long Island from Manhattan Island, connect New York Bay to Wallabout Bay. Further northward, it winds through a cluster of rocky islands – Blackwell’s, Randall’s, Ward’s, and Berrian’s – leading to the notorious eddy and whirlpool known to the Dutch settlers as Helder-gaat or HelU-gaat, meaning "the bright passage." This name was later anglicized to Hellgate, and subsequently softened to Hurlgate. This treacherous pass, the bane of early navigators and the setting for numerous thrilling legends, deserves a more detailed description than most other locales.
West of Hurlgate, a deep bay filled with low, reedy islands indents the shore, narrowing into a diminutive channel that reaches the Hudson River, forming Manhattan Island’s northern boundary. This channel is called Harlem River at its southeastern end, but Spuytendevil Creek at its junction with the Hudson, where it is a small watercourse. The channel runs nearly north-south, cutting the narrow belt of land transversely, a distance four times its width.
Manhattan Island, a narrow strip of land nestled between the Hudson River to the west and the East River (part of Long Island Sound) to the east, forms its southern boundary. The Harlem River defines its northern edge. The island stretches a little over thirteen miles along the Hudson River, with a width ranging from 1 to 2 1/3 miles, encompassing approximately 14,000 acres. A ledge of stratified granitic rock underlies the entire island, running from north to south and rising to nearly 200 feet in some areas, while sinking to considerable depths below the surface in others. The island’s geological character dictates its irregular shape and surface, which were originally marked by steep inclines, projecting crags, ponds, and marshes. In some locations, the tide penetrated nearly to the island’s center, while freshwater ponds were elevated significantly above tidewater in others. Towards the southern part of the island was a large extent of diluvial earth overlying the sunken rock. This tract extended nearly a mile up the Hudson River and over half a mile along the East River. Beyond this area, about midway between the two rivers, was a freshwater pond, which drained southeastwardly to the East River through a vast swamp, or estuary – the area now stretching from Pearl Street to Catharine Street, and extending up to Chatham Street.
West of this swamp was another, smaller swamp, separated by a ridge upon which Pearl Street runs. This was long known as Beekman’s Swamp, and the portion of the city erected on the spot is still called "the Swamp." West of the Fresh Pond was a valley of wetland extending down to the Hudson River and ending in a marsh, now traversed by Canal Street. Beyond this belt of freshwater and marshes, a fine tract of arable land and extensive meadows lay to the northeastward. The southeastern angle of this area was known for many years as Corlaer’s Hook. The Dutch colonists quickly appropriated the upland portions of this side of Manhattan Island for farms, or "boweries," giving the neighborhood its name, which is still borne by a principal avenue in this part of the city. Further up, on the eastern side, the land was more broken and rocky, swelling into eminences with intervening swamps and morasses.
The island’s western side had less varied natural features. The shore presented an almost straight line from end to end. The region extending northward from the Fresh Pond along the Hudson consisted of irregular hills and valleys, generally without fast rocks but full of large and small loose stones and rocks, with springs of pure water, creeks, and marshes. For 3-4 miles, the Hudson River’s shore was low and intersected by bays and estuaries; further up, it rose in high rocky hills of a most rugged and forbidding aspect. The upper part of Manhattan Island, embracing more than half its total area, was ill-suited for agricultural purposes. The original ground plan of New York City presented a more forbidding spot of earth on which to erect a great city. In building a city on such a foundation, the builders combined the arts of the stone cutters of ancient Petraea and the amphibious labors of the founders of Venice and St. Petersburg.
As the early navigators observed, this rugged creation was adorned with its ancient forests. Hickory, chestnut, white and yellow oaks, and white ash grew on its knolls and hilltops, with sumac, dogwood, and hazel underwoods. Beech, sycamore, and stately whitewoods lined the hillsides and the water’s edge, while elm, white maple, gum, and black ash thrived in the swamps, accompanied by a dense undergrowth of shrubs, brambles, and climbing vines.
The animal life was typical for the region. Sluggish bears roamed through the forests, gaunt wolves howled from the hilltops, and the shrill scream of panthers occasionally echoed through the valleys. Herds of timid deer grazed peacefully or fled in terror from their predators. Birdlife was abundant. Robins and blackbirds filled the upland trees with song, mingled with the garrulous blue jay’s calls and the cooing of wood pigeons that swept over the forests in vast numbers. Thrushes, catbirds, and sparrows inhabited the thickets, while geese, ducks, and snipes congregated along the water’s edge. Beavers, otters, muskrats, and minks populated the streams and watersides, while the forests teemed with squirrels, and porpoises, tortoises, and sharks swam in the deep waters.
The Half Moon‘s homeward voyage was uneventful, and the ship safely reached Partmouth harbor. Henry Hudson promptly sent his patrons a detailed account of his discoveries. Since the voyage was undertaken under the Provinces’ flag, the rights to the newly discovered territory belonged to that country. Therefore, the Dutch were conceded the lands on both sides of the Hudson River by right of original discovery.
The new owners were keen to capitalize on their discovery. The following year, while Henry Hudson, again employed by his countrymen, was embarking on his final, ill-fated voyage that led to the discovery of an immense inland sea in the northern part of the continent, merchants from Amsterdam equipped a vessel with a cargo intended for trade with the natives on the Hudson River. This venture proved successful and was repeated annually for several years. In 1613, Sir John Argall, leading a semi-piratical squadron under the English flag, sailed into the harbor at the mouth of the Hudson River. He found a few rudimentary dwellings on Manhattan Island’s southern tip, which served as the summer quarters for a small group of Dutch traders. The Dutch acknowledged allegiance to Holland and claimed the protection of their flag. However, they complied with Argall’s demand to raise the English flag, only to lower it again after he departed. In 1614, a joint-stock company of merchants in Amsterdam dispatched seven ships to America under the command of Adrian Block and Hendrick Christianse, who erected a crude fort at the island’s lower extremity. The following year, a fort was established at the head of navigation on the Hudson River, near the present location of Albany.
The early enterprises of the Amsterdam merchants focused on trade rather than colonization. No colony was attempted for several years, and trade in the region was conducted by individuals. However, in 1621, the Dutch West India Company was incorporated, granting it a monopoly on trade in all Dutch foreign possessions on both shores of the Atlantic Ocean and the authority to govern any unoccupied territories it chose to appropriate. The vast regions assigned to this new corporation were distributed among branches located in the principal cities of Holland, with the country on the Hudson River falling under the jurisdiction of the Amsterdam branch. Soon, simple cottages began to cluster around the blockhouse on Manhattan Island, and the developing metropolis became known as New Amsterdam. The entire territory of Hudson’s River was called New Netherland. A government was soon established, and in 1624, Peter Minuit was appointed director of the fledgling colony. During his tenure, the entire island of Manhattan was purchased from the Indians for approximately twenty-four dollars.
"These," wrote an eloquent historian of colonial affairs, "were the rude beginnings of New York. Its first age was the age of hunters and Indian traders, of traffic in the skins of otters and beavers; when the native tribes were employed in the pursuit of game, and the yacht of the Dutch, in quest of furs, penetrated every bay, and bosom, and inlet, from Narraganset to the Delaware River. It was the day of straw roofs, wooden chimneys, and windmills." The Discovery and Early Occupation of New York City marks a significant chapter in the region’s history. The Discovery and Early Occupation of New York City laid the foundation for its future development. The Discovery and Early Occupation of New York City transformed the landscape and its inhabitants. The story of the Discovery and Early Occupation of New York City is one of exploration, trade, and cultural exchange. The Discovery and Early Occupation of New York City continues to shape the city’s identity today.