New York is a state in the northeastern United States. It
is sometimes called New York State when there is need to
distinguish it from New York City, the most populous city in
both the state and the nation. Due to the preponderance of the
population concentrated in the southern portion around New
York City, the state is often regionalized into Upstate and
Downstate.
The Dutch, who began to establish trading-posts on the Hudson
River in 1613, claimed jurisdiction over the territory between
the Connecticut and the Delaware Rivers, which they called New
Netherlands. The government was vested in "The United New
Netherland Company," chartered in 1616, and then in "The Dutch
West India Company," chartered in 1621. In 1649 a convention
of the settlers petitioned the "Lords States-General of the
United Netherlands" to grant them "suitable burgher
government."
The Duke of York had previously purchased in 1663 the grant of
Long Island and other islands on the New England coast made in
1635 to the Marl of Stirling, and in 1664 he equipped an armed
expedition which too(l)sic possession of New Amsterdam which
was thenceforth called New York. This conquest was confirmed
by the treaty of Credo, in July 1667. In July 1673 a Dutch
fleet recaptured New York and held it until it was restored to
the English by the treaty of Westminster in February, 1674.
The second grant was obtained by the Duke of York in July,
1674 to perfect his title. The original grants are in the New
York state Library.
On November 1, 1683, the government was reorganized. The
colony, then called the Province of New York was divided into
twelve counties, each of which was subdivided into towns. The
territory of New York extended much farther than present-day
New York State, having no official western boundary other than
the Pacific Ocean. Two of New York's eastern coastal counties,
Cornwall and Dukes, later became parts of Massachusetts and
Maine. Counties were also ceded to Vermont before Vermont
entered the Union in 1791.
New York was one of the original thirteen colonies that became
the United States. It was the 11th state to ratify the United
States Constitution, on July 26, 1788.
