Who Came to New York and What Were They Seeking?

Dutch settlers (Walloon families) arrived 1624 on Manhattan Island seeking:

• Religious freedom – Walloons were French-speaking Protestants fleeing Catholic persecution in Spanish Netherlands.
• Economic opportunity – Fur trade (beaver pelts) via Dutch West India Company monopoly.

Subsequent Waves

• 1640s–1664: Diverse Europeans (English, French, Germans, Scandinavians, Jews) – trade, land, refuge.
• 1664 English takeover: Renamed New York; attracted English merchants, artisans.
• 18th–19th c.: Mass immigration (Irish, Germans, Italians, Eastern Europeans) – famine, revolution, industrial jobs.
• Late 19th–early 20th c.: Ellis Island (12M processed) – "huddled masses."

Constant: economic opportunity + relative freedom — the engine of NYC's growth.