The area currently is the city of New York was inhabited by indigenous tribes, including Manahattoes and Canarsie. Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first navigator to reach the area, around 1524. Going by the current Narrows Strait anchored at Staten Island, where he says he was received by the natives, a tribe of the Lenape.

In 1609, Henry Hudson established the Netherlands trade zone by calling the island Staaten Eylandt. However the island remain unsettled for decades, between 1635 and 1659 were foiled three attempts at colonization Netherlands due to conflicts between settlers and natives.

In 1626 he founded the town of New Amsterdam Netherlands at the southern tip of Manhattan. Among the settlers were many Huguenots looking for religious freedom.

In 1664, English ships captured the city without fighting, and renamed New York in honor of the Duke of York. In 1667, whit the Treaty of Breda, the Netherlandsformally handed New York to British.

At the beginning of the War of Independence of the United States, the city was the scene of the Battle of Brooklyn. Was 1776 and British forces left Boston to move to Staten Island, a strategic point to plan their advance on New York City. He received notices of declaration of independence. A month later, August 1776, British forces crossed the Straits and Narrow, after waging battle against the troops of George Washington, took the city and the control of the rest of war. The city was not returned to the EEUU until 1783.

During the XIX century, the population of the city increased by the arrival of large numbers of immigrants. In 1811, the layout of the streets of the city was expanded to cover the entire island of Manhattan.

After the civil war, the rate of immigration from Europe grew, and New York became the first destination for millions of people seeking a new and better life in the United States.

In the first of XX century, the city became the world center for industry, commerce and communications. The first subway began operating in 1904. The skyline of New York changed dramatically in the '30s with the construction of some of the world's highest skyscrapers.

The 80´s saw the rebirth of Wall Street, and the city reclaimed it´s role as the financial center in the world.In the late 90´s internet boom led to another form of industry that fueled the city's economy.