February 2? It reminds me of February 2, 1653. The day New York was born, at least the day the site acquired a municipality. Note that the city was not yet called New York, at that date, but “New Amsterdam”.
Why has she changed her name? Because it has changed owners! It’s a long story, I’ll sum it up for you. In 1523, Francis I was persuaded by a Florentine navigator, Verrazano, to finance his expedition. He was looking for a passage to the Pacific through the west. The latter embarks aboard his boat, La Dauphine and he becomes the first European to drop anchor in the bay of present-day New York, which he himself calls “New Angoulême”, in honor of François I, King of France of course, but also count from Angoulême.
“New Amsterdam”, “New Angoulême”, that makes names … Yeah, you know, it’s the new world. Each time a power takes possession of a territory, it affixes its mark. This New Angoulême is soon abandoned by France, which has other priorities and it is the Dutch who will really take possession of this land. In 1623, settlers settled in this place, now called New Amsterdam. They even buy the land from its occupants, the Amerindians, the “Manhattes” for a handful of florins and a few beads. They will leave their name there anyway, these Manhattes, you recognized: Manhattan…
On February 2, 1653, the place therefore officially became a municipality. And ten years later, British domination took precedence over Holland. New Amsterdam becomes New York, this time in honor of Jacques II, the Duke of York.
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