Have you ever wondered what New York was like before it was a city? Find out here, by navigating through the map to discover Manhattan Island and its native wildlife in 1609. ...

Read the infamous document detailing Peter Minuit's purchase of Manhattan island from the Lenape Indians.

See the legacy of the Dutch settlement in modern-day New York

Examine Adriaen van der Donck's detailed map of the New Netherland colony, from New Amsterdam up to Fort Orange.

Closely examine and read a translation of the Flushing Remonstrance, the precursor to America's Bill of Rights.

See the original size of the New Amsterdam settlement and how it compares to Lower Manhattan today.

See the document that marked the surrender of Dutch New Netherland to the English in 1664.