New York (NY)

• Region: Northeast Atlantic coast
• Population: 19,677,151 (ranked 4th) (2022 estimate)
• Capital: Albany (pop. 100,826) (2022 estimate)
• Largest city: New York City (pop. 8,335,897) (2022 estimate)
• Number of counties: 62
• State nickname: Empire State
• State motto: Excelsior (Ever upward)
• State flag: Blue field with state coat of arms

New York, one of the thirteen original colonies, entered the Union on July 26, 1788, the eleventh state to join. Part of the Mid-Atlantic region of the northeastern United States, New York shares land boundaries with five other states and two Canadian provinces: Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Vermont to the east; New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south; Ontario to the northwest; and Quebec to the north. Water borders include the Atlantic Ocean on the east and Lakes Erie and Ontario on the northwest.

Nicknamed the "Empire State" because of its vast size and wealth, New York has long been a leader in national affairs. Upstate New York is a region of industrial cities and farming towns, with beautiful mountains and lake regions. Since colonial times, New York City has been the state's major city (though not the state capital), and in modern times one of the world's great metropolises. "The Big Apple" is a dominant financial, commercial, and entertainment center, as well as a major port of entry for immigrants. The Statue of Liberty, a gift from France, stands in New York Harbor as a symbol of America's historic welcome to immigrants.

State Name: New York is named for the Duke of York, brother of King Charles II of Great Britain. The duke (later King James II) commanded the British forces that seized New Amsterdam (New York City) in 1664, making the colony a British possession.

Capital:Albany has served as the state capital of New York since 1797. Numerous other cities have served as state capital, including New York City (from 1785–1790).

Flag: New York's state flag bears the state coat of arms on a dark-blue background. Two female figures (the goddesses Liberty and Justice) support the coat of arms. The figure of Liberty holds a pole on which rests a "Liberty Cap." A crown rests at her feet to symbolize freedom from British rule. Both cap and crown are symbols of the American Revolution. On the right of the shield stands Justice, blindfolded and holding the scales of justice. Beneath the female figures is a white banner bearing the state motto, "Excelsior" (ever upward). The shield itself shows sunrise over the Hudson River, with ships sailing there. Over the shield is a globe on which rests an eagle.

Official Symbols

• Flower: Rose
• Bird: Bluebird
• Tree: Sugar maple
• Animal: Beaver
• Fish: Brook trout
• Song: “I Love New York” by Steve Karmen

State and National Historic Sites

• Bennington Battlefield State Historic Site (Hoosick Falls)
• Castle Clinton National Monument (New York City)
• Clinton House State Historic Site (Poughkeepsie)
• Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site (Hyde Park)
• Ellis Island, Statute of Liberty National Monument (New York City)
• Federal Hall National Memorial (New York City)
• Fort Montgomery State Historic Site (Bear Mountain)
• Fort Ontario State Historic Site (Oswego)
• General Grant National Memorial (New York City)
• John Brown Farm State Historic Site (Lake Placid)
• John Jay Homestead State Historic Site (Katonah)
• Martin Van Buren National Historic Site (Kinderhook)
• Old Erie Canal State Historic Park (Kirkville)
• Sagamore Hill National Historic Site (near Oyster Bay)
• Saratoga National Historic Park (Stillwater)
• Statute of Liberty National Monument (New York City)
• Walt Whitman Birthplace State Historic Site (Huntington Station, Long Island)
• Washington's Headquarters State Historic Site (Newburgh)

DEMOGRAPHICS

• Population: 19,677,151 (ranked 4th) (2022 estimate)
• Population density: 411.2/sq mi
• Urban population: 87.4% (2020 estimate)
• Rural population: 12.6% (2020 estimate)
• Population under 18: 20.3% (2022 estimate)
• Population over 65: 18.1% (2022 estimate)
• White alone: 68.6% (2022 estimate)
• Black or African American alone: 17.7% (2022 estimate)
• Hispanic or Latino: 19.7% (2022 estimate)
• American Indian and Alaska Native alone: 1.0% (2022 estimate)
• Asian alone: 9.6% (2022 estimate)
• Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander alone: 0.1% (2022 estimate)
• Two or More Races: 2.8% (2022 estimate)
• Per capita income: $43,208 (ranked 8th; 2022 estimate)
• Unemployment: 4.3% (2022 estimate)

American Indians: American Indians in New York generally belong to the Algonquian and Iroquoian language groups. Historically, the Algonquian peoples inhabited Long Island and the Hudson River Valley, while the Iroquois lived in central and western New York. Among the Algonquian peoples were the Mohegans and Lenni-Lenapes (Delawares). The various Iroquois peoples established a strong confederation in the late sixteenth century, under the leadership of the prophet Deganawidah and Onondaga chief Hiawatha.

The Algonquian peoples originally controlled much of eastern New York, along the Hudson River but found themselves at the mercy of the superior military power of the Iroquois in the seventeenth century. The Algonquians allied with the French, but were eventually driven out of New York.

The Iroquois Confederacy was also known as the "Five Nations," after its five member tribes (Cayuga, Mohawk, Oneida, Onondaga, and Seneca). This became the Six Nations in the early 1720s, when the Tuscarora tribe became part of the Oneida. The Tuscarora had moved northward from the Carolinas a decade earlier, after losing a war there with the British settlers. The Iroquois dominated upstate New York during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, also driving other tribes out of the rich lands of the Ohio Valley. They sided with the British in the French and Indian Wars, but this alliance cost them heavily in the American Revolution. During the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, the Iroquois were forced onto reservations.

Many Iroquois still live in New York, and the Onondaga reservation remains the capital of the Iroquois Confederacy. In the 2020s there were eight federally recognized tribes in the state: the Cayuga Nation, the Oneida Nation of New York, the Onondaga Nation, the Saint Regis Mohawk Tribe (formerly the St. Regis Band of Mohawk Indians of New York), the Seneca Nation of Indians, the Shinnecock Indian Nation, the Tonawanda Band of Seneca, and the Tuscarora Nation of New York.

ENVIRONMENT AND GEOGRAPHY

• Total area: 54,555 sq mi (ranked 27th)
• Land area: 47,126 sq mi (86.4% of total area)
• Water area: 7,429 sq mi (13.6% of total area)
• Shoreline: 1,850 miles
• National parks: 24
• Highest point: Mount Marcy (5,344 feet)
• Lowest point: Atlantic Ocean (sea level)
• Highest temperature: 108° F (Troy, July 22, 1926)
• Lowest temperature: –52° F (Old Forge, February 18, 1979)

Topography: New York is noted for its mountain chains, lakes, and river valleys. Much of western New York is mountainous, covered by the Appalachian range (which includes the Catskill Mountains and the Adirondacks. This part of the state is heavily forested. Along the coast of Lake Erie, part of the Great Lakes, the western part of the state is a vast coastal plain. The eleven Finger Lakes are among western New York's most famous bodies of water. Niagara Falls, a popular tourist attraction, separates New York from the Canadian province of Ontario. The topographic focus of eastern New York is the Hudson River Valley. The Hudson River runs southward to New York Harbor and Atlantic Ocean, forming a major highway for waterborne commerce. Between the late 1800s and the 2010s, the sea level rose by about thirteen inches along the New York coast.

Highest Point: Mount Marcy (Essex County), 5,344 feet

Major Lakes: There are thousands of lakes in New York. Among the most notable are the eleven "Finger Lakes" found in Western New York.

• Chautauqua Lake
• Conesus Lake
• Canadice Lake
• Canandaigua Lake
• Cayuga Lake
• Hemlock Lake
• Honeoye Lake
• Keuka Lake
• Oswasco Lake
• Otisco Lake
• Seneca Lake
• Skaneateles Lake
• Lake Champlain
• Lake George
• Oneida Lake
• Sacandaga Reservoir

Major Rivers: There are hundreds of miles of rivers throughout New York.

• Bronx River
• East River
• Hudson River
• Mohawk River
• Niagara River
• Oswego River
• St. Lawrence River

Total Shoreline: 1,850 miles

State and National Parks: New York has approximately 180 state parks, including an estimated 3.7 million acres of government-owned forests. There are twenty-four national parks, many of them associated with historic events and persons. Manhattan Island, located in downtown New York City, contains six separate sites, including Federal Hall National Memorial, first home of the federal government. Besides the historic sites, areas managed by the National Park Service (NPS) include the Appalachian National Scenic Trail and Fire Island National Seashore.

Natural Resources: New York is known as the Empire State in part because of the wealth of its resources. The numerous lakes and rivers, including the Hudson River, have provided easy transportation from one part of the state to the other throughout New York's history. There is an abundance of industrial minerals, such as clay, salt, and crushed stone. The timber industry has declined since the nineteenth century, though nearly two-thirds of the state is still wooded.

Plants and Animals: New York has a wide variety of wildlife, especially in natural areas such as the state forests. There are over 470 bird species, including the bald eagle, and almost 100 species of mammals. Large mammals include black bear, deer, moose, and bobcat, though the latter two exist in relatively small numbers. Common small mammals include the raccoon, red fox, skunk, and river otter. Off the state's Atlantic coast, one finds commercial fish species as well as several types of whales, including the right, finback, and humpback whales.

Climate: New York's climate is generally temperate, like most of the Mid-Atlantic region in general. There are four distinct seasons, with hot summers and cold winters. Statewide, precipitation averages follow the general regional trend, though northern and western parts of the state often experience heavy "lake effect" snowfall in the winter. Syracuse, for example, averages over 120 inches of snow per year. New York City also receives occasionally heavy snow, because of nor'easter storms.

Average winter temperatures range from about 20.8 degrees Fahrenheit upstate in Plattsburgh to around 35.6 degrees in New York City. Similarly, average summer temperatures average near 67 degrees in Plattsburgh to about 75 degrees in New York City.

EDUCATION AND CULTURE

Major Colleges and Universities

• Adelphi University (Garden City)
• Barnard College (New York)
• City University of New York (New York)
• Clarkson University (Potsdam)
• Columbia University (New York)
• Cornell University (Ithaca)
• Fashion Institute of Technology (New York)
• Fordham University (Bronx)
• Hamilton College (Clinton)
• Hofstra University (Hempstead)
• Ithaca College (Ithaca)
• Juilliard School (New York)
• The New School University (New York)
• New York University (New York)
• Pace University (New York, Westchester)
• Pratt Institute (Brooklyn, Manhattan)
• Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (Troy)
• Rochester Institute of Technology (Rochester)
• Saint John's University (Queens)
• Sarah Lawrence College (Bronxville)
• State University of New York (Albany, Binghamton, Buffalo, Cortland, Fredonia, Ithaca, New York, Oswego, Plattsburgh, Potsdam, Stony Brook, Syracuse, Utica)
• Syracuse University (Syracuse)
• United States Military Academy (West Point)
• University of Rochester (Rochester)
• Vassar College (Poughkeepsie)
• Yeshiva University (New York)

Major Museums

• Adirondack Experience (Blue Mountain Lake)
• American Museum of Natural History (New York)
• Erie Canal Museum (Syracuse)
• George Eastman Museum (Rochester)
• Guggenheim Museum (New York)
• Metropolitan Museum of Art (New York)
• Museum of Modern Art (New York)
• National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum (Cooperstown)
• New York State Museum (Albany)
• Rockwell Museum (Corning)

Major Libraries

• Buffalo and Erie County Public Library (Buffalo)
• Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library (Hyde Park)
• Frick Art Reference Library (New York)
• Morgan Library & Museum (New York)
• New York Public Library (New York)
• New York State Library (Albany)

Media

New York City ranks as one of the world's top media centers, especially in television and publishing. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal serve as "newspapers of record" both nationally and internationally. Other major newspapers include the Albany Times-Union, the Buffalo News, and the Rochester Daily Record. All of the Big Three television networks (CBS, NBC, ABC) are headquartered in New York. The Regional News Network (RNN) provides cable news coverage throughout the state. New York City is the center of the nation's publishing industry, with many major book and periodical publishers located there.

ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE

• Gross domestic product (in millions $USD): 2,053,179.7 (ranked 3rd) (2022 estimate)
• GDP percent change: 3.2%

Major Industries: New York has a well-diversified economy, with strong agricultural, manufacturing, and financial sectors. Wall Street in New York City, home of the New York Stock Exchange, has become a synonym for the nation's financial power. In addition to high finance, New York City is one of the world's most important centers for publishing and the arts. Tourism is also an important industry and earns the state billions of dollars annually. The state has one of the largest manufacturing sectors in the country. In addition to printing and publishing, important products include chemicals, food and beverages, electronics and computer goods, machinery, and fabricated metals. New York is also one of the United States' agricultural leaders, producing large quantities of dairy products, field crops, fruit, and wine. Another important agricultural sector is livestock breeding.

Tourism: New York is one of the most popular destinations in the world for both American and international tourists. "Upstate" offers beautiful rural scenery (including natural wonders such as Niagara Falls and the Adirondack Mountains) and picturesque small towns. One can also find the US Military Academy at West Point, along the Hudson River, as well as historic homes such as President Franklin Roosevelt's Hyde Park estate. New York City is one of the world's great metropolises, with numerous sports teams, museums, theaters, and other entertainments. For example, Broadway is the centerpiece of American theater. In 1977, New York State began the famous advertising campaign "I Love New York" to promote tourism.

Energy Production: New York relies primarily on natural gas, nuclear power, and hydroelectric power for its electricity, with petroleum as a backup source. New York has four nuclear-power plants in the Upstate region: James Fitzpatrick, Nine Mile Point, and Ginna (a fourth, Indian Point, shut down in 2021). Renewable energy sources, such as wind power, solar power, biomass, and landfill gas, have also increased in the state. New York is among the top hydropower producers in the US, but it produces extremely little natural gas or petroleum and no coal.

New York is a major energy consumer overall, yet it is among the lowest states in the nation for per-capita energy consumption. The state’s high energy efficiency is a result partly of its mass transportation system.

Agriculture: New York is a major agricultural state, one of the nation's leaders in livestock farming, dairy products, and field crops. Dairy and livestock production is a multibillion-dollar industry in New York. Field crops also bring a multibillion-dollar market value to the state's economy each year. Important crops for human consumption include such as grains, sweet corn, beans, cabbage, squash, pumpkin, and cherries. New York farmers also raise many crops for animal feed, including hay, alfalfa, soybeans, and corn. The state is also a national leader in fruit production; New York is consistently among the nation's largest producers of apples. Trout farming is another important sector. Markets include direct sales, sport fishermen, and restaurants.

Airports: New York is one of the world's major hubs for air travel. Each year, millions of travelers use the state's airports, especially those in the New York Metropolitan Area. The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ), a self-supporting public agency managed jointly by those two states, operates New York City's major airports: John F. Kennedy International and LaGuardia.

Seaports: New York State has two seaports: New York City and Albany. The former is operated by the PANYNJ, which also operates ferry services within the New York-New Jersey Metropolitan Area. The Port of Albany has become an "inland port" for New York City, as a warehousing and land-distribution hub.

GOVERNMENT

• Governor: Kathy Hochul (Democrat)
• Present constitution date: April 21, 1905
• Electoral votes: 28
• Number of counties: 62
• Violent crime rate: 398.5 (per 100,000 residents)
• Death penalty: No (abolished in 2007)

Constitution: The current New York constitution dates from 1894 and was substantially revised in 1938; other amendments have also been made. New York adopted its first state constitution in 1777, during the Revolutionary War. The constitution requires voters to decide every twenty years whether to call a new constitutional convention.

Branches of Government

Executive: The governor, New York's highest executive, is elected to a four-year term and may serve up to two consecutive terms. Duties include the proposal, vetoing, and passage of legislation; overseeing the administrative agencies; and serving as commander-in-chief of the state's military forces. The lieutenant governor, who serves as president of the Senate, acts as governor in case of the incumbent's death, disability, or removal from office. Other constitutional officers include the state comptroller and the attorney general.

Legislative: The New York legislature, established in 1777, has two houses: a Senate with a variable number of members and a 150-member Assembly. All legislators serve two-year terms. The legislature meets annually. The lieutenant governor serves as president of the Senate.

Judicial: New York State has a unified court system, which includes courts for New York State as a whole as well as for New York City. Despite its name, the State Supreme Court is not the court of last resort. It possesses general original jurisdiction over law and equity cases, and handles cases of legal discipline, but its appellate division has only limited jurisdiction. The highest court (and court of last resort) is actually the seven-member State Court of Appeals, whose chief judge heads the state court system. The chief judge and six associate judges are all appointed by the governor to serve fourteen-year terms.

The Court of Claims hears cases in which the State of New York is either the defendant or plaintiff, or in other cases as determined by the state legislature. Other specialized courts include Family Courts, Surrogate's Courts (which hear cases relating to wills, estates, and guardianship of minors' property), and County Courts. There are also courts for towns, villages, and cities outside of New York City.

Courts specific to New York City include the New York City Civil Court and the New York City Criminal Court.

HISTORY

1524 Italian-born explorer Giovanni da Verrazzano, on an expedition for France, becomes the first European to visit New York Bay.

1609 French explorer Samuel de Champlain travels southward from Canada on the lake that now bears his name. That same year, English explorer Henry Hudson, who sails under the Dutch flag, explores the Hudson River far inland.

1621 The government of the Netherlands charters the Dutch West India Company.

1623 The Dutch West India Company is organized.

1624 The colony of New Netherland, comprising much of present-day New York State, is established by the Dutch West India Company. Settlement focuses on the Hudson River region. The main Dutch settlements are New Amsterdam (present-day New York City) and Fort Nassau / Fort Orange (later Albany). The colonial government includes a "Director-General" (Governor) and council.

1626 Dutch trader Peter Minuit purchases Manhattan Island from the Indians for $24.

1629 The Dutch West India Company establishes the "patroon" system of landholding in New Netherland, in order to encourage colonization.

1647-64 Peter Stuyvesant serves as governor of New Netherland.

1653 New Amsterdam receives limited self-government, with a mayor and aldermen under the authority of Governor Stuyvesant.

1655 New Netherland, led by Peter Stuyvesant, captures the Swedish colony of New Sweden (in present-day Delaware).

1664 During the Second Anglo-Dutch War (1664–1667), British forces under the Duke of York capture New Amsterdam without a fight. The New Netherland colony becomes the colonies of New York (in honor of the Duke) and New Jersey. The New York colony receives limited self-government from the Duke, the colonial proprietor.

1673–74 The Dutch briefly recapture New York during the Third Anglo-Dutch War. The colony soon returns to British control, however, and New Amsterdam is renamed New York City.

1686–88 The Duke of York, now King James II, tries to consolidate British holdings in America by creating a single Dominion of New England. He begins by consolidating all the New England colonies, then tries to add New York and New Jersey to the fold. Sir Edmund Andros, governor of this new dominion, makes himself hugely unpopular in trying to implement it. Bostonians seize him and his New York deputy. James II himself is overthrown in the Glorious Revolution, which brings to the throne his daughter Mary and her husband William of Orange. Jacob Leisler, a militia leader, proclaims himself governor of New York.

1689–1753 Britain's North American colonies, including New York, are caught up in the French and Indian War. This is the North American phase of the ongoing battle between Britain and France for world supremacy. The border fighting makes it difficult for New Yorkers to settle their northern and western frontiers. The overall conflict is divided into several smaller wars, known respectively as King William's War, Queen Anne's War, King George's War, and the French and Indian War.

1691 Britain's new king, William III, reestablishes royal control over New York. His representatives establish a new governing council. The colony also gains its first permanent legislative body, the General (or Colonial) Assembly.

1754 King's College (now Columbia University) is founded in New York City.

1765-74 Britain passes several pieces of tax legislation that drive the American colonies toward independence. These so-called Intolerable Acts, including the Stamp Act, Quartering Act, and Townshend Acts, passed without colonial approval, give rise to the cry, "No taxation without representation!" The New York Colonial Assembly refuses to enforce the Quartering Act, which requires colonists to house British troops; in response, the king suspends the assembly from 1767 to 1769.

1775–83 The American Revolution. New York plays a major role in the colonies' struggle for independence from Britain, with major conflicts between Loyalists ("Tories") and Patriots. The Patriot forces gain the upper hand in October 1775, when they force Royal Governor Thomas Tryon to take refuge on a British warship in New York Harbor. Despite this, New York's delegation to the Second Continental Congress does not sign the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776 (but the Provincial Congress, a provisional government, endorses the document the following day). On July 9, 1776, New York declares its independence from Britain; in 1777, the state adopts its first constitution and elects George Clinton its first governor. He serves until 1795, then again from 1801–4.

Several major battles and campaigns take place in the Empire State. At the Battle of Bennington (August 1777) American troops under General John Stark inflict heavy casualties on the forces of British General John Burgoyne. Two months later, in October 1777, American forces win a strategic victory over Burgoyne at the Battle of Saratoga—a major turning point in the war, because it convinces France to enter the war as the Americans' ally.

1785–90 New York City serves as the nation's capital, until the federal government moves south to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1790.

1789 Federal Hall (the former City Hall) served as the setting in 1789 for George Washington's inauguration as the first US president.

1797 Albany is picked as the permanent state capital.

1801 As the result of its first Constitutional Convention, New York increases the size of the legislature.

1802 The United States Military Academy opens at West Point, along the Hudson River.

1804 The western New York village of Buffalo is laid out and surveyed.

1812-15 The War of 1812. New York State constructs over a dozen forts to protect New York Harbor from British attack. The Southwest Battery, located just off Manhattan Island, is later known as Castle Clinton in honor of New York City Mayor DeWitt Clinton.

1817 Slavery is outlawed in New York State. The legislation goes into effect in 1827.

1821 The state holds a Constitutional Convention. Among the amendments adopted, all male citizens gain the right to vote.

1820s–40s The Albany Regency, a coalition which supports agricultural and small business interests, dominates New York State politics. Martin Van Buren, a Democrat, is the coalition's leading figure.

1825 The Erie Canal is completed, connecting eastern New York with western markets. Authorized in 1811 and begun in 1817 (at Rome), the canal reaches to the Great Lakes Region.

1834 New York and New Jersey sign a treaty establishing their water boundary through New York Harbor and the Hudson River.

1837 Martin Van Buren is elected eighth president of the United States, successor to President Andrew Jackson.

1839 William H. Seward, a leading Whig and strong abolitionist, is elected governor of New York. He serves until 1852. That same year, President Martin Van Buren purchases an estate in his hometown of Kinderhook, and names the property Lindenwald.

1846 New York holds a Constitutional Convention, which limits the power of the legislature.

1848 Women's rights advocates hold a convention in Seneca Falls. Millard Fillmore, Comptroller of New York and a former member of the New York Assembly, is elected Vice President of the United States as Zachary Taylor's running mate. Fillmore becomes President in 1850, when Taylor dies of illness, but fails to win renomination because of his support for the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850.

1850 New York State acquires the Hasbrouck family property in Newburgh, which served as General George Washington's headquarters and residence during the last year-and-a-half of the American Revolution (April 1782–August 1783). The state opens the site to the public.

1855 The War of 1812-era fort Castle Clinton becomes a state-run landing depot for immigrants, serving in this capacity until 1890. Over 8 million people enter the United States through this facility.

1861–65 The US Civil War. New York provides tens of thousands of soldiers for the Union cause. One of the best-known state military units is the Seventh Regiment, which fights at Gettysburg. New York factories turn out large amounts of war equipment. Despite this support, some anti-war opposition comes from groups such as the "Peace Democrats." New York City is also the site of massive anti-draft riots in July 1863, in which thousands of protestors take to the streets. The protestors blame blacks for the war, and attack African-Americans (as well as abolitionists). Around 1,000 people are killed. The riots result in over $1 million in damage.

1867 The state holds another Constitutional Convention. Suffrage for African Americans is voted down.

1876 Governor Samuel J. Tilden, the Democratic candidate for president, loses the election to Republican candidate Rutherford B. Hayes despite winning the popular vote. The suspicion is that Democratic and Republican Party bosses made a deal which gives the Republicans the Presidency, in exchange for the removal of federal troops from the South.

1883 The Brooklyn Bridge opens.

1884 Governor Grover Cleveland is elected president of the United States.

1886 The Statue of Liberty, standing on Bedloe's Island in New York Harbor, is dedicated on October 28. The statue is a gift from France, in commemoration of that nation's historic friendship with the United States.

1894 The state holds another constitutional convention. Amendments alter the size and composition of the legislature, as well as the governor's term of office.

1897 Grant's Tomb, the mausoleum of Civil War general Ulysses S. Grant and his wife, Julia Dent Grant, is dedicated in New York City.

1898 New York City grows immensely in land area, annexing Staten Island, present-day Queens, and the neighboring city of Brooklyn.

1899 Theodore Roosevelt, hero of the Spanish-American War, returns from Cuba and is elected the thirty-third Governor of New York. He serves until 1900, when he is elected Vice President as President William McKinley's running mate on the Republican ticket.

1901–09 President McKinley is assassinated, and Vice-President Roosevelt becomes the nation's twenty-sixth President. The new chief executive retains his close connections with his home state, spending summers at his Sagamore Hill home on Long Island. The mansion becomes known as the "Summer White House" because Roosevelt conducts much official business there during his vacations.

1911 The Triangle Shirt Waist Company in New York City catches fire, killing 140 workers. An investigation discovers that the owners had blocked exits and otherwise not taken safety precautions. The public outcry results in many labor reforms.

1914–18 World War I. New York provides large numbers of troops as well as much materiel for the Allied war effort.

1917 New York women gain the right to vote.

1918 Democratic politician Alfred E. Smith, head of the New York City Board of Aldermen, is elected Governor for the first time. He loses reelection in 1920, but is reelected in 1922, 1924, and 1926. During his tenure, he institutes many progressive reforms.

1921 In order to manage New York Harbor more effectively, and with fewer disputes, New York and New Jersey establish the Port of New York Authority. This is the first interstate agency.

1925 State legislator James J. Walker is elected mayor of New York City. Known as "Gentleman Jimmy" for his dapper dress and manners, he supports many reforms, including development of a public-transit system. By the early 1930s, however, he faces numerous corruption charges and resigns in 1932.

1929–32 Franklin D. Roosevelt, cousin of former President Theodore Roosevelt, serves as New York's forty-fourth Governor.

1928 Former governor Smith becomes the Democratic candidate for president. The first Catholic to run for the office on a major-party ticket, Smith faces numerous attacks because of his religion. Ultimately, he loses to Republican candidate Herbert Hoover and leaves his career in politics.

1929 The stock market crashes, beginning the Great Depression.

1930s Several major transportation projects are completed in New York City. These include the George Washington Bridge (1931), the Triboro Bridge (1936), and the Lincoln Tunnel (1937).

1932 Governor Roosevelt, the Democratic candidate for president, defeats the Republican incumbent Herbert Hoover.

1934–45 Fiorello LaGuardia serves as mayor of New York City, instituting many reforms following the corruption of Walker's administration.

1939 The World's Fair takes place in New York City, at Flushing Meadows. Symbols of the fair are large geometric structures called the "trylon" (a spire) and "perisphere" (a sphere).

1941–45 World War II. As in World War I, New York's industry provides much support for the US war effort. Governor Thomas E. Dewey, a Republican, runs against President Roosevelt.

1948 Governor Thomas Dewey, again the Republican candidate for President, is defeated by Democratic incumbent Harry S. Truman despite an apparent lead.

1951 The United Nations takes up permanent residence in New York City, in the UN Headquarters building.

1961 New York State joins Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and the US government in signing the Delaware River Basin Compact. This agreement regulates water use in the Delaware watershed.

1964 The Verrazano-Narrows Bridge opens.

1972 The Port of New York Authority changes its name to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

1975–83 New York City is mired in a fiscal crisis.

1986 After several years of being closed for restoration, the Statue of Liberty is reopened to the public.

1996 New York City is hit by the Great Blizzard of 1996, which dumps between 24 and 30 inches of snow around the city.

2001 On September 11, terrorists fly planes into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington, DC. Over 3,000 people die in the two Trade Center towers, which collapse completely. It is later established that the attacks were conducted by the Islamic fundamentalist terrorist group known as al Qaeda. The attacks result in US military action in Afghanistan.

2008 In March 2008, New York governor Eliot Spitzer abruptly resigns after being implicated in a New York City prostitution ring. The scandal is seen as a fall from grace for Spitzer, who made a career of rooting out corrupt and lawbreaking businessmen and officials.

2011 New York becomes the sixth state to legalize same-sex marriage. At the time its law is passed in June 2011, it is the largest state in the US to approve such a law.

2012Hurricane Sandy causes significant damage in New York, particularly on Long Island.

2014 A museum about the September 11 terrorist attacks opens at the old World Trade Center site. A new skyscraper there becomes the tallest building in the Western Hemisphere.

2016 Both candidates in the 2016 presidential election, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, are New York natives, marking just the fourth time the two major presidential candidates have hailed from the same home state. In 1904 and 1944 New York was also the home of both candidates.

2019 New York issues a state of emergency declaration and ends religious exemptions for vaccination amid the largest US measles outbreak in nearly two decades.

2020 New York City removes a racist statue of Theodore Roosevelt from the Museum of Natural History and begins a review of other monuments. The state is also particularly hard hit by the first wave of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) global pandemic in the United States, with hospitals in New York City filled to capacity.

2022 New York Yankee Aaron Judge hits sixty-two home runs, breaking the American League record for most home runs in a season (previously set by Roger Maris with 61 home runs in 1961).

FAMOUS PEOPLE

Lauren Bacall, 1924–2014 (New York City): Actor.

James Baldwin, 1924–1987 (New York City): Author; activist.

Lucille Ball, 1911–89 (Jamestown): Actor; television producer.

Benjamin N. Cardozo, 1870–1938 (New York City): Chief judge of the New York Court of Appeals; US Supreme Court justice.

Aaron Copland, 1900–90 (New York City): Composer.

Agnes de Mille, 1905–93 (New York City): Choreographer.

Geraldine Ferraro, 1935–2011 (Newburgh): Politician; activist.

Millard Fillmore, 1800–74 (Locke Township, now Summerhill): Thirteenth president of the United States.

George Gershwin, 1898–1937 (New York City): Composer; pianist.

Ira Gershwin, 1896–1983 (New York City): Lyricist.

Moss Hart, 1904–61 (New York City): Playwright; director.

Edward Hopper, 1882–1967 (Nyack): Painter.

Charles Evans Hughes, 1862–1948 (Glen Falls): Governor; US Supreme Court chief justice.

John Jay, 1745–1829 (New York City): Revolutionary War leader; US Supreme Court chief justice.

Ethel Merman, 1908–84 (Astoria): Actor; singer.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, 1989– (New York City): Politician.

Colin Powell, 1937–2021 (New York City): US Secretary of State; general.

George Pullman, 1831–97 (Brocton): Inventor of the railroad sleeping car; industrialist.

Eleanor Roosevelt, 1884–1962 (New York City): First Lady of the United States; diplomat; political and social activist.

Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1882–1945 (Hyde Park): Thirty-second president of the United States.

Theodore Roosevelt, 1858–1919 (New York City): Twenty-sixth president of the United States.

W. W. Rostow, 1916–2003 (New York City): Economist.

Alfred E. Smith, 1873–1944 (New York City): Politician.

Barbra Streisand, 1942– (New York City): Entertainer; producer; director; political activist.

Sonia Sotomayor, 1954– (New York City): Supreme Court justice.

Donald Trump, 1946– (New York City): Forty-fifth president of the United States.

Sojourner Truth, c. 1797–1883 (Swartekill): Abolitionist; women's rights activist.

Martin Van Buren, 1782–1862 (Kinderhook): Eighth president of the United States.

Denzel Washington, 1954– (Mount Vernon): Actor.

Edith Wharton, 1862–1937 (New York City): Author.

Marcus Whitman, 1802–47 (Rushville): Physician; missionary; pioneer (in Washington State).

Walt Whitman, 1819–92 (West Hills, Long Island): Poet.

TRIVIA

New York State was the birthplace of five United States presidents: Martin Van Buren (8th president), Millard Fillmore (13th), Theodore Roosevelt (26th), Franklin Delano Roosevelt (32nd), and Donald Trump (45th).

The Hasbrouck farmhouse in Newburgh served as General George Washington's headquarters and home during the last year-and-a-half of the American Revolution. In 1850, the state acquired the home and opened it to the public. This made it the first public historic site in the nation.

Liberty Island, home to the Statue of Liberty (completed 1886), was known as Bedloe's Island until 1956.

Lombardi's, the nation's first pizzeria, was opened by Italian immigrants in Lower Manhattan in 1905 and is still in operation.

A 2019 survey ranked New York as the least-friendly state toward visitors and newcomers.

Bibliography

"Economic Profile for New York." BearFacts, Bureau of Economic Analysis, 30 Sept. 2022, apps.bea.gov/regional/bearfacts/. Accessed 22 Sept. 2023.

"The Mineral Industry of New York." National Minerals Information Center, USGS, US Dept. of the Interior, www.usgs.gov/centers/nmic/mineral-industry-new-york. Accessed 30 Aug. 2019.

"New York." Quick Facts, US Census Bureau, 1 July 2022, www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/NY/PST045221. Accessed 22 Sept. 2023.

"New York: State Profile and Energy Estimates." U.S. Energy Information Administration, 17 Nov. 2023, www.eia.gov/state/?sid=NY. Accessed 22 Sept. 2023.

"New York: 2020 Census." United States Census Bureau, 25 Aug. 2021, www.census.gov/library/stories/state-by-state/new-york-population-change-between-census-decade.html. Accessed 14 Oct. 2022.

"2022 State Agriculture Overview: New York." National Agricultural Statistics Service, US Dept. of Agriculture, 22 Sept. 2023, www.nass.usda.gov/Quick‗Stats/Ag‗Overview/stateOverview.php?state=New%20York. Accessed 22 Sept. 2023.