History of New York
     King Charles II of England gave his brother, James, the Dutch colony.  It was named New Amsterdam and later renamed New York.  New York grew at a slow pace in the beginning.  Most of the farmland near the Hudson River was owned by just a few families.  Because New York was a great location, it became a busy seaport.  This attracted many people from many countries.

     New York colonists wanted to govern themselves.  The colonist fought for and won the right to elect an assembly.  This is a lawmaking body.  The King appointed the governor of the colony.  The governor was responsible for making sure the laws of England were being followed.

     William Cosby was chosen to be the governor of New York in 1731.  The colonists did not like how he ran the colony.  One of the colonists, John Peter Zenger,  printed a story that characterized the governor as being dishonest.  The governor was so angry that he had this colonist arrested.  Zenger was put on trial.  His lawyer, Andrew Hamilton, defended Zenger.  He said that Zenger had a right to point out what the governor was doing wrong, as long as it was the truth. 

     Zenger was found to be not guilty.  This trial helped to establish freedom of the press.  This freedom gives people the right to speak the truth freely without the fear of being put in jail.

     New York was known for its mix of land and people, religious freedom, and right to govern themselves.