Province of New York facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Province of New York
1664–1783
Flag Seal (1767)
Map of the Province of New York
Status	Colony of England (1664‍–‍1707) Colony of Great Britain (1707‍–‍1783)
Capital	New York City
Official languages	English
Other languages spoken	Dutch Iroquoian languages Algonquian languages
Government	Colony run by an owner (1664–1686) Colony run by the King/Queen (1689–1783)
King
• 1664–1685	Charles II (first King)
• 1760–1776	George III (last King)
Royal Governor
• 1664–1668	Richard Nicolls (first Royal Governor)
• 1783	Andrew Elliot (last Royal Governor)
Legislature	Council (1664–1686, 1689–1775)
• Upper house (like a Senate)	New York Executive Council
• Lower house (like a House of Representatives)	New York General Assembly
History
• England took New Amsterdam	August 28 1664
• New Netherland officially given to England	September 29, 1664
• Treaty of Westminster	March 5, 1674
• America declared independence	July 4, 1776
• Treaty of Paris (ended the war)	September 3 1783
Currency	New York pound
Preceded by Succeeded by New Netherland New York Vermont Republic

The Province of New York was a British colony in North America from 1664 to 1783. It was one of the Thirteen Colonies that later became the United States. This colony stretched from Long Island up the Hudson River and Mohawk River valleys. It reached near the Great Lakes and north towards Canada.

Before it was British, this area was a Dutch colony called New Netherland. In 1664, King Charles II of England sent ships to take over New Netherland. The Dutch governor, Peter Stuyvesant, gave up to the English. The colony was then renamed New York, after the Duke of York. England's control became official with treaties in 1667 and 1674.

In the late 1700s, people in New York and the other twelve colonies wanted to be free from British rule. They fought in the American Revolutionary War and created the United States. The Treaty of Paris in 1783 officially ended British claims to New York. On November 25, 1783, the British Army left New York City. General George Washington's American army marched in with a big celebration.

Geography: Where Was the Colony?

The British colony of New York was built on land. This land once belonged to Native American groups like the Iroquois. It was also part of the Dutch colony of New Netherland. The main part of the colony was called York Shire. This area is now known as Downstate New York, which is around New York City and Long Island.

History: How New York Grew

Dutch Beginnings (1617-1664)

In 1617, people from the Dutch West India Company started a settlement. This was where Albany is today. In 1624, they founded New Amsterdam on Manhattan Island. This place later became New York City. The Dutch claimed a large area. This included all of modern New York, New Jersey, Delaware, and Vermont. It also included parts of Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maine, and Pennsylvania.

Run by an Owner: Proprietary Government (1664–1685)

New Amsterdam surrendered to the English on August 27, 1664. Colonel Richard Nicholls renamed it New York. Another Dutch fort, Fort Orange, was renamed Albany. A treaty in 1667 confirmed the English takeover.

The Dutch settlers were promised certain rights. These included freedom to practice their religion. They could also follow their own customs for things like inheritance. Dutch laws were still used for agreements made before the English took over.

In 1664, King Charles II gave the colony to his brother, James, Duke of York. This made New York a proprietary colony. This meant James owned and controlled it. He could govern it, as long as the laws followed English laws. The Duke of York never visited New York. He chose governors and councils to run it for him. At first, there was no elected assembly for the people.

Also in 1664, the Duke of York gave some land to Sir George Carteret. This land was between the Hudson River and the Delaware River. It was named New Jersey. In 1667, some land became part of Connecticut.

The land that remained as New York included the Hudson and Mohawk River valleys. It also included what would later become Vermont. Western New York was land of the Iroquois Confederacy. Both the English and French (who had colonies in Canada) claimed it.

The first English governor, Richard Nicolls, wrote "The Duke's Laws." This was the first set of English laws for New York. Sir Edmund Andros later became governor.

In 1683, a colonial Assembly was created. This was like a small parliament. New York was the last English colony to get an assembly. This assembly passed a constitution for the Province of New York. This gave New Yorkers more rights. They were protected from being taxed without their agreement. On November 1, 1683, the government was reorganized. The province was divided into twelve counties. Ten of these counties still exist today.

The British continued the Dutch alliance with the Iroquois against the French. This was known as the Covenant Chain.

When the Duke of York became King James II of England in 1685, New York changed. It went from being his personal property to a royal colony. This meant it was directly under the King's control.

Under the Crown: Royal Province (1686–1775)

When James II became King in 1685, New York officially became a royal province. In 1688, New York was briefly part of a larger territory. This was called the Dominion of New England. But when news arrived in 1689 that King James had been overthrown in England, people in Boston and New York rebelled. In New York, this was known as Leisler's Rebellion. During this time, King William's War with France began. The French attacked Schenectady. A new governor arrived in 1691.

New York's charter (its main set of rules) was re-enacted in 1691. It stayed in place until New York became a state. The first newspaper in New York, the New-York Gazette, started in 1725.

During Queen Anne's War (1702-1713) with France, New York was not heavily involved in fighting. But it supplied the British fleet.

The Dutch People

The Van Bergen farm near Albany, New York in 1733. Many Dutch families stayed after the English took over.

When the British took over, most Dutch families stayed. However, very few new Dutch people came to the colony. The Dutch who were there kept their language and their religion. They also kept traditions like Sinterklaas (which became Santa Claus). They introduced foods like beets, spinach, and cookies. Wealthy Dutch families in Albany and New York City started to adopt English styles.

German Settlers

In 1710, about 2,800 German immigrants were brought to New York by the British government. This was a very large group for that time. They first worked along the Hudson River. In 1723, many settled in the Mohawk Valley. They mostly kept to themselves, spoke German, and attended Lutheran churches.

Enslaved Africans

Slavery existed in New York under both Dutch and British rule. Enslaved people were brought from Africa and sold in markets. New York City became a major port for importing enslaved people. They worked in the city as skilled workers and servants. They also worked on large farms upstate.

There were two major slave revolts in New York City, in 1712 and 1741.

From the 1600s until 1812, an African burial ground was used in Lower Manhattan. It was rediscovered in the 1990s during a construction project. It is now a National Monument.

More Wars with France

New York was involved in King George's War (1740s) against the French. The local assembly was often hesitant to spend money on the war. After a French raid on Saratoga in 1745, the assembly provided more men and money.

During the French and Indian War (1754-1763), much fighting happened in upstate New York. The British, with Iroquois allies, fought the French and their Native American allies. A famous event was the siege of Fort William Henry. British forces surrendered to the French there. Britain eventually won this war and took control of Canada. This ended French-backed attacks on the New York frontier.

After the war, Sir William Johnson, 1st Baronet, helped end Pontiac's Rebellion. This was a Native American uprising. He supported the Proclamation of 1763 and the Treaty of Fort Stanwix. These tried to protect Native American lands from more English settlement.

Politics and Tensions

In the mid-1700s, New York politics was dominated by rivalry. This was between two wealthy families: the Livingstons and the De Lanceys. New York City had a lot of influence.

The Stamp Act Crisis

In 1765, the British Parliament passed the Stamp Act. This was a tax on paper goods in the colonies. New York was already facing economic problems. New Yorkers strongly protested. In October 1765, representatives from several colonies met in New York. This was at the Stamp Act Congress. Merchants in New York agreed to stop importing British goods.

Groups like the Sons of Liberty organized protests. There were riots, and stamp agents were threatened. The Stamp Act was eventually repealed in 1766. This led to celebrations. The Sons of Liberty put up a Liberty Pole as a symbol of their cause.

More Acts and Protests

The Quartering Act required colonies to provide housing and supplies for British soldiers. This caused tension. The New York assembly was even suspended for a time.

The Townshend Acts of 1767 put new taxes on goods. These included tea, glass, and paper. New York merchants again boycotted British goods. There were clashes between citizens and soldiers. One was the Battle of Golden Hill in 1770. Most of the Townshend duties were later repealed, except the tax on tea.

The Tea Act of 1773 allowed the British East India Company to sell tea cheaply. This hurt local merchants. The Sons of Liberty organized opposition. In April 1774, colonists boarded a ship named Nancy in New York. They destroyed the tea, similar to the Boston Tea Party.

When Britain passed the Intolerable Acts in 1774, New York created a Committee of Correspondence. This was to communicate with other colonies. Delegates were sent to the First Continental Congress. However, the New York Assembly did not approve the Congress's decisions.

The Road to Independence

In April 1775, news of the battles of Lexington and Concord arrived. Rebels in New York formed the New York Provincial Congress. They took over the government from the British. They seized weapons from the City Hall. Governor William Tryon had to flee to a British warship in October 1775.

New York played a key role in the American Revolutionary War. It was the starting point for an American invasion of Canada in 1775. General George Washington brought his army to New York in 1776. He expected a British attack.

On July 9, 1776, the Provincial Congress approved the Declaration of Independence. They declared New York an independent state. They tore down a statue of King George III in New York City. A new state constitution was adopted in 1777. George Clinton became the first governor.

The British captured New York City in September 1776. This was after the Battle of Long Island. The city became the British headquarters for the rest of the war. Many Loyalists (colonists loyal to Britain) moved to the city. The British held thousands of American prisoners on prison ships. Many died there.

Important battles like the Battle of Saratoga (a major American victory) took place in upstate New York. The British finally left New York City on Evacuation Day, November 25, 1783.

How the Government Worked

The governor of New York was chosen by the British king or queen. The governor chose an Executive Council. This acted like an upper house of government. The New York General Assembly was the lower house. It was elected by voters. The governor and the king could reject laws passed by the assembly. Elections for the assembly had to be held at least every seven years. New York City was the capital.

To vote, people usually had to own property. This property had to be worth at least £40. Voting was not secret.

Counties of the Province

On November 1, 1683, the Province of New York was divided into twelve counties:

• Albany County: A very large area covering what is now northern and western New York. It also claimed Vermont.
• Dutchess County: Now Dutchess and Putnam counties.
• Kings County: Now Kings County (Brooklyn).
• New York County: Now New York County (Manhattan).
• Orange County: Now Orange and Rockland counties.
• Queens County: Now Queens and Nassau counties.
• Richmond County: Now Richmond County (Staten Island).
• Suffolk County: Now Suffolk County on Long Island.
• Ulster County: Now Ulster and Sullivan counties, and parts of others.
• Westchester County: Now Westchester and Bronx counties.

Later, in 1772:

• Tryon County was formed from Albany County. It was later renamed Montgomery County.
• Charlotte County was formed from Albany County. It was later renamed Washington County.

People of the Province

Before Europeans arrived, upstate New York was home to the Six Nations of the Iroquois Confederacy for hundreds of years.

• In 1664, about one-quarter of the people in New York City were of African descent.
• By 1698, the colony's population was about 18,607. About 14% of the people in New York City were Black.
• The number of enslaved Africans grew. In 1731, 18% of New York's population was Black. By 1746, it was 21%.
• In 1756, the province had about 100,000 people. About 14,000 were Black. Most of them were enslaved.

Economy: Making a Living

The fur trade was very important. It started under the Dutch and continued. As New York City grew as a port, the economy expanded. Farming was important on Long Island and along the Hudson River. People grew crops that made them money. Fishing was also a good way to make a living. This was because New York was on the coast. Tradesmen, like blacksmiths and carpenters, also did well.

Key Exports

The Province of New York had many natural resources and farm products. These were in demand elsewhere. Here are some of the main things it exported:

• Furs: This was one of the earliest and most important exports. There was a huge demand for animal furs, especially beaver furs. Traders worked with Native American partners. They collected furs from the forests and waterways. These furs were then shipped to Europe.
• Grain and Flour: Farming grew in the colony. New York became a major producer of wheat. This wheat was often ground into flour before being exported. New York was sometimes called the "breadbasket" of the colonies.
• Timber and Wood Products: The colony had huge forests. This provided lots of wood. This wood was used for building ships, houses, and furniture. Timber and cut wood were important exports.
• Naval Stores: These were products from pine trees. They were used in shipbuilding. These included tar, pitch, and masts. Great Britain especially needed these for its large navy.
• Meat and Livestock: Farmers also raised animals like cattle and pigs. Salted meat (like beef and pork) and sometimes live animals were exported. This was especially true to the Caribbean colonies.

Key Imports

The colonists in New York needed many things they didn't produce. These items were imported from other places. Most came from Great Britain and other parts of the British Empire.

• Manufactured Goods: This was a huge category. Great Britain was a major manufacturing center. Colonists relied on Britain for things like:
  • Textiles and Clothing: Fabrics like wool and cotton cloth were imported. Finished clothing also came from Britain.
  • Metal Goods: Tools, nails, pots, pans, and weapons were imported.
  • Ceramics and Glassware: Plates, cups, and window glass were often imported.
• Luxury Goods: These items were not necessary for survival. But they made life more comfortable or stylish.
  • Tea: Tea became a very popular drink. It was imported from Asia, often through Britain.
  • Sugar and Molasses: These were imported from the Caribbean colonies. Sugar was used for sweetening. Molasses was used in cooking and to make rum.
  • Wine and Spirits: Alcoholic drinks like wine and rum were imported.
  • Books and Paper: Printed materials were important for communication and education.
• People (Enslaved Laborers): Sadly, people were brought against their will from Africa and the Caribbean. They were forced laborers. They were considered property and were bought and sold. This was a dark part of colonial trade.

Trade Partners

The Province of New York traded with several different places:

• Great Britain: This was the most important trading partner. New York sent raw materials and farm products to Britain. It received manufactured goods and luxury items in return.
• The Caribbean Colonies: These islands grew sugar and other tropical products. They needed food, timber, and other supplies from North America. New York exported grain, flour, and meat to the Caribbean. It imported sugar, molasses, rum, and enslaved people.
• Other North American Colonies: New York also traded with its neighbors. They exchanged goods that one colony had in abundance for things another needed.

See also

In Spanish: Provincia de Nueva York para niños