In his March 2008’s reception to celebrate Women’s History Month, Borough President Stringer launched the publication, “Women’s Rights, Historic Sites: A Manhattan Map of Milestones”.

To view the map click here

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• In 1624, some thirty families, mostly Walloons (French-speaking Belgian) sailed from Amsterdam to New York fifteen years after Henry Hudson sailed up the river in 1609. Upon arrival in New York Bay some members of the group settled in Manhattan, the island of 23.7 square miles which got its name from the Native American “Manhatta,” translated as “hilly or Small Island.”
  
• When the Dutch arrived on the shores of Manhattan, calling it New Netherland, the island was already inhabited by a Native American tribe called the Manates.
  
• In 1626, Peter Minute purchased Manhattan Island from the Native Chiefs for guilders (approximately $24 dollars) paid in trading goods, and then changed its name to New Amsterdam. Today, the assessed value of Manhattan Island is more that $49 billion.
  
• In 1664, after three British Man-o-Wars sailed into the lower bay, the Dutch surrendered the island to the British without firing a shot. New Amsterdam became New York. Today, Manhattan’s blue, white and orange flag is just as the flag of the Netherlands was in 1625.
  
• Manhattan was considered a city for approximately 245 years. During this period, the island held the title of the nation’s first capital (1785-1790) as well as the capital of New York State (1784-1796). In 1786, the population of New York City reached 23,614.
  
• On January 1, 1898, the New York City Charter instituted the offices of the five Borough Presidents – one for each borough. Since consolidation of the five boroughs into one city, Manhattan has had 26 Borough Presidents. The first, August W. Peters, took office in 1898. The twenty-sixth, the Honorable Scott M. Stringer, took office on January 1, 2006, one hundred eight years later.
  
• Today, Manhattan enjoys a reputation as one of the five boroughs of a world-class city. It offers a quality of life that is seldom found elsewhere in the world. It’s the world’s financial center, mecca of the fashion industry, and home of world-class cultural institutions and parks. It enjoys diversity in its people, food and entertainment.
  
• Visiting Manhattan gives one the opportunity to interact with people from all walks of life on one island, 23.7 square miles in size. In 1646, there were approximately 400 inhabitants. Today, over 1.4 million people reside in Manhattan.