Tuesday, September 8, 2009

New York City Notes 1

Universe of Desires. Solitary in our minds.
Henry Hudson
Capitalism
Dutch
Dutch West India Company
Breuklen
Broncks
14,000 acres
Year of the Blood
Dutch become drunken
Missing right leg
Peter Stuyvesant
New ruler - Director General
Trading Post to Slave Trade
Too many immigrants
Too many different types
1654 Jewish Sept 12. Roshashanna
English 4 warships take New Amsterdam
Merchants petitioned War
Retired to Greenwich Village
2 days later named New York
Duke of York

Canarsie -destroyed by English
Kings County
Queens County
Richmond (king's bastard son)

Lizler
Queen Anne - Lord Cornbury

1 out of 6 owned by another NYer
Fires breaking out
Mary Burton/Houston (Irish)

Merchants/Artisans vs English
War up until 1763
King George 3

Alexander Hamilton
Bastard Child from West India
Defy British - pamphlet
"It is in war that a man can make his reputation."

Evacuation of NY - 80% of population left
1775 - British Warships

Washington brings soldiers to Manhattan to defend NY & Hudson river. Between Boston & Philadelphia. Pivotal inbetween point.

Declaration of Independence read aloud. Trashed King George 3 statue, made bullets. Washington brought troops to Brooklyn. 1/4 army destroyed in 2 days. Rest brought across East River through night. Defended his retreat up Broadway.

Washington left to keep army alive. 7 years.
British Garrison. Manhattan. Blacks joined to become free. Whitehall fire. Western half destroyed. French help Washington take NY. Nov 25, 1783 ride back into NY.

Abandoned, destroyed, all but rubble. Alexander Hamilton. Genius. Vision of development. 57 Wall St.

Jefferson calls NY a sewer. Hamilton makes NY an industrial/banking center. Jefferson says debt will be covered if capitol can be in Washington DC. NY gains superiority complex. Whatever.

Capitalism as metaphor for NY, constantly redefining, aggressively moving forward. Early 1800's. Steamboat, Staten Island Ferry. Vanderbilt.

Steam let ships sail on time.

John Jacob Astor. Real estate. Fur trader.

Washington Irving. A History of New York. Knickerbocker. "Gotham"

Dewitt Clinton - mayor/governor
Development of NYC
The grid & Eerie Canal
(Mississippi River to New Orleans)
Europe to NYC to Middle America

Empire State.

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