How was Long Island settled?
The western portion of Long Island was settled by the Dutch, who named it Lange Eylant. They also had early settlements in the 17th century on what are now Manhattan and Staten Island. Lion Gardiner was the first English settler as he settled on Gardiners Island in 1637.
When did the Dutch settle Long Island?
The colony of New Netherland was established by the Dutch West India Company in 1624 and grew to encompass all of present-day New York City and parts of Long Island, Connecticut and New Jersey. A successful Dutch settlement in the colony grew up on the southern tip of Manhattan Island and was christened New Amsterdam.
Why was Long Island important in the 1920s?
During these “dry” years, Long Island and its adjacent waters were integral to supplying New York City’s night clubs and speakeasies with alcohol – in addition to those in Nassau and Suffolk counties.
What was the first town in Long Island?
Southold
In his influential1845 book on Long Island the Reverend Nathaniel Prime says without equivocation, “Southold was the first town settled on Long Island”. Southampton only began disputing Southold’s primacy in 1878.
Were there slaves Long Island?
Long Island had the largest slave population of any rural or urban area in the north for most of the colonial era. Beginning with the original 11 black slaves in 1626, the number of slaves in New York grew to almost 20,000 on the eve of the Revolutionary War a century and a half later.
How old is Long Island?
Long Island finally earned its name about 11,000 years ago, or perhaps slightly later, when the rising ocean waters on the eastern and western edges of the ancient river valley finally joined to form Long Island Sound.
Who were the first settlers on Long Island?
The English and Dutch were the first European settlers on Long Island, but came under English rule in 1664 when the entirety of the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam was brought under English rule. From that time Native American populations began to decline as the population of European settlers grew.
What did the Dutch originally call Long Island?
In 1611, the Dutch explorer Adriaen Block became the first European to sail into what became known as Long Island Sound. Once he reached its end, he realized the body of land to the east was not a peninsula but an island. The Dutch name—’t Lange Eylandt—was apt, and it stuck.
Why did New York get Long Island?
The Dutch had granted an English settlement in Hempstead, New York (now in Nassau County) in 1644, but after a boundary dispute they drove out English settlers from the Oyster Bay area. However, in 1664, the English returned to take over the Dutch colony of New Netherland, including Long Island.
What is the smallest town on Long Island?
Town of North Hempstead
- Carle Place- Smallest Town on Long Island, 0.9 Square Miles.
- East Williston.
- Great Neck.
- Greenvale.
- Manhasset – The famous Miracle Mile! (
- Mineola – The heart of Nassau County.
- Westbury – A very big town for Long Island!
- Williston Park has Hildebrandt’s ice cream shop.
What are the 5 towns on Long Island?
Although there is no official Five Towns designation, “the basic five are Lawrence, Cedarhurst, Woodmere, Hewlett and Inwood.” Each of these “towns” has a consecutive stop on the Far Rockaway Branch of the Long Island Rail Road. All five communities are part of the Town of Hempstead.
When did slavery end on Long Island?
These were only five of the slaves who lived on Long Island before New York abolished slavery in 1827. “In some cases, a single piece of paper with one of these given names is the only evidence that they ever lived,” Jonathan Olly, curator of the Long Island Museum, in Stony Brook, said.
When did people first settle on Staten Island?
They also had early settlements in the 17th century on what are now Manhattan and Staten Island. On April 22, 1636, Charles I of England ordered that the Plymouth Colony, which had laid claim to the island but had not settled it, give the island to William Alexander.
When did Long Island become a suburb of NYC?
In the 1920s and 1930s, suburbanization reached beyond the western end of the island, and Long Island began the transformation from backwoods and farms to the paradigm of the American suburb. Under its president Robert Moses, the Long Island State Park Commission spanned the island with parkways and state parks.
Why did people move to Long Island after WW2?
After World War II, Long Island’s population skyrocketed, mostly in Nassau County and western Suffolk County. People who worked and lived in New York City moved out to Long Island in the new developments built during the post-war boom. The most famous post-war development was the town of Levittown.
Who lived on Long Island during the Revolutionary War?
Early colonial figures on the island include Wyandanch, William “Tangier” Smith, Captain William Kidd, Lion Gardiner, and John Underhill . The Battle of Long Island, the largest Revolutionary War battle, ranged across Kings County, now the Borough of Brooklyn in New York City.