New York

            New York .
             New York is a state in the Middle Atlantic region of the United States. It has been called the Empire State since before 1800. It was the 11th of the 13 original states. New York was the first capital of the United States. But is was only the capital for one year. .
             New york attracted settlers and merchants from a variety of nations. At least 18 different languages were being spoken in the city as early as 1650 among the 18 languages were German, Swiss, Moravian, French, English and Portuguese.
             Native Americans were the first people to live in New York. They were called the Lenapes ("the people"). They lived in New York for more than 1,500 years. They called their land Lenapehoking. In the spring Lenapes planted tobacco, mellons, corn, beans, and squash. In the autumn deer were hunted by groups using traps, fire surrounded methods, or bow and arrows. In the winter they trapped beavers to provide them with fur to keep warm with.
             They lived in Longhouses. Both women and men can be Lenape leaders. Lenape women were often peacemakers with a voice in the council. Women also owned the longhouses and contents, as well as the crops in the fields.
             Both women and men worked. The women stayed close to their home. The men roamed farther away from their house to hunt and trade. Lenapes spoke Munsee.
             In 1609 the English navigator Henry Hudson He who was hired by the Dutch to search for a water route through North America to Asia, (which was also known as the north west passage) arrived in New York harbor aboard his 74 foot ship, The Half Moon. The Hudson River was named after him. .
             I n 1776 our first president, George Washington moved his headquarters to New York City. In the Novemer of 1776 troops under British command stormed Fort Washington and Fort Tyron in upper Manhattan and killed or captured more than 2000 American soldiers.