To many New York City
is New York State, but there is much more to this historic
and scenically diverse state than the Big Apple. Within an hour's
drive visitors can find the beaches of Long Island or escape to the
Catskill Mountains to fish, hike or ski. A little further north, on
the Hudson River, is the state capital Albany, which is a good base
from which to explore 'upstate' New York. In the centre of the
state the solitude of the Adirondacks region can be found - home to
some of the highest and most dramatic mountains in the eastern
United States, attracting the energetic with a range of activities
including hiking, skiing, horse riding and mountain biking.
On the border with Canada, between Lakes Ontario and Erie is
possibly the country's most spectacular natural attraction, and
certainly the most popular - the Niagara Falls. Located midway
between Niagara Falls and New York City are the Finger Lakes, which
despite being within 200 miles (322km) of the city remain one of
the most unspoilt vacation areas in the USA, renowned for their
picturesque lakes, wineries and lush forests.
Until the arrival of Europeans in the 16th century, most of the
area that is now New York was controlled by the Iroquois
Confederacy, a group of Native American peoples. Henry Hudson
discovered and named the Hudson River in 1609 and claimed the area
for the Dutch, sixty years later the British took control and named
it New York; the Native Americans prospered during this time,
controlling the lucrative fur trade. A century later, during the
French and Indian Wars the British defeated the French and took
control of all of northeast America. The victory was largely thanks
to the Iroquois allying themselves with the British and in 1763 all
the new British Territory, extending as far as the Mississippi, was
declared an Indian reserve. This was short-lived however, the
Iroquois again allied themselves with the British during the War of
Independence, and in the reprisals entire communities were wiped
out and much of their land was deeded to the revolutionary war
veterans.
George Washington was sworn in as the republic's first president
in 1789 in New York City. By 1830 the population had exploded to
250,000, but mass immigration did not start until the 1840s, with
the arrival of the Irish. By 1880 the population was 1.2 million.
With this abundant labour, vast natural resources and unfettered
capitalism New York, and the other Mid-Atlantic States, became one
of the most industrialised regions in the world. Great cities
developed including New York, New York& king of the hill, top
of the heap.
