The European settlement of what would become New York was led by the Dutch, settling along the Hudson River in 1624. They established the colony of New Amsterdam on the island of Manhattan.

In “Taking Manhattan,” Russell Shorto pays close attention to the darker aspects of colonial life on the island at the center ...

Dutch settlers came to the metropolitan area in the early 1600s and began living in the colony of New Netherland, which covered parts New York, Connecticut and New Jersey, according to History.com.