1525 Giovanni da Verrazano - the first European to see Manhattan |
Giovanni da Verrazano was an Italian explorer in the service of King Francis I of France. He sailed into New York Harbor in 1524 in search of the Northwest Passage and was the first European to see Manhattan. Even though he never set foot on land due to severe weather, he claimed it for France. King Francis was so busy fighting Holy Roman Emperor Charles V, and changing alliances with or against Henry the VIII, that he never followed through on the discovery. Verrazano himself finished his explorations on a sad note, being eaten by locals in the Lesser Antilles, while trying to negotiate another conquest for France. |
1609 Henry Hudson - the first European to set foot in Manhattan |
Henry Hudson, an English explorer on the employ of the Dutch East India Company, was the first European to set foot in Manhattan. In search for India, he sailed up the Hudson (North River) as far as Albany. Having convinced himself that this particular body of water would take him to neither India nor China, he promptly decided to bring back material goods, which would make his trip worthwhile for his employer. Local beavers fit the bill with their lavish beaver tails. Hudson claimed the land for Holland; the Dutch East India Company was renamed to be the Dutch West India Company, and started trading in fur, finally providing Russia with healthy competition on the European market. |