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New York City Facts & Worksheets

New York City comprises 5 boroughs sitting where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean.

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New York City comprises 5 boroughs sitting where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean. At its core is Manhattan, a densely populated borough that’s among the world’s major commercial, financial and cultural centers. Its iconic sites include skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building and sprawling Central Park. Broadway theater is staged in neon-lit Times Square.

See the fact file below for more information on the New York City or alternatively, you can download our 22-page New York City worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

HISTORY OF NEW YORK CITY

  • About 75,000-11,000 years ago, the Wisconsinan glaciation (the most recent glacial period in North America that changed the geography north of the Ohio River) resulted in the exposure of bedrock which formed the geological foundation of the majority of New York City.
  • As the movement of the ice sheet continued, it eventually broke up what is now Long Island and Staten Island.
  • New York City was inhabited by the Lenape – Algonquin hunters and farmers who lived between the Delaware and Hudson rivers.
  • In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazzano, on behalf of France, made the first documented visit by a European to the area; he was looking for a route to Asia.
  • He claimed the area for France and named it “New Angouleme”.
  • In the following few years, explorers from Portugal and Spain visited the area and created charts and maps of their routes.
  • Years later, in 1609, Henry Hudson passed by New York while on his way to discover the Northeast Passage to the Orient on behalf of the Dutch East India Company; it was then named “New Amsterdam”.
  • In 1626, Manhattan Island was purchased from the natives in exchange for trade goods (farming equipment, wampum, tools, and cloth).
  • Juan Rodriguez Domingo was the first non-Native American inhabitant.
  • In 1664, the British seized “New Amsterdam” from the Dutch and renamed it “New York City”; from that point and into the next century, it became more diverse and the population grew to include immigrants from all over Western Europe, as well as African slaves.
  • The 1700s were a time when slavery was at the centre of New York’s economy, as the transport of slaves happened mostly through its ports.
  • By 1730, approximately 42% of households in New York held slaves.
  • By 1760 the city had surpassed Boston in size, and 50 years later it became the largest city in the West with a population surpassing 200,000 people.
  • In the 1760s and 1770s, New York City became an area where anti-British activity was popular; businesses closed in protest over the Stamp Act of 1765, riots broke out, and eventually the Revolutionary War began, which ended with the United States breaking away from British control.
  • New York City recovered well and quickly from the war; by 1810 it had become America’s most important ports, but needed expansion in order to carry goods back and forth over large distances.
  • As a result of this need, the Erie Canal (a 363-mile long canal from the Hudson River to Lake Erie) was constructed and completed in 1825, making New York City the trading capital of America.
  • Over the next few decades, improvements were made to New York’s infrastructure including clean water access and the formation of a police department (NYPD), as well as the foundation of distinct ethnic communities and neighborhoods as a result of increased immigration from Germany, Ireland, and Eastern Europe in the 1840s and 1850s.
  • In 1904, the subway was opened which helped bind the new parts of the city together.
  • The 20th century saw the rise of African American migration to New York City from the south, which contributed to the population increase to over 10 million in the 1920s (overtaking London).
  • Other notable events in New York’s history include the completion of the Empire State Building in 1931, The United Nations Headquarters being completed in 1952, the Stonewall riots of 1969, the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, and more recently, the Occupy Wall Street protests in Zuccotti Park in 2011.

GEOGRAPHY OF NEW YORK CITY

  • New York City is located on the northeastern seaboard of the United States, and is mostly built on three islands – Long Island, Manhattan, and Staten Island.
  • The Hudson River, which feeds into a harbour and then into the Atlantic, provides a natural border between New York City and the state of New Jersey.
  • The Bronx River is the only entirely freshwater river in the entire city.
  • New York City is comprised of five boroughs – The Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island.
  • The climate of New York City varies greatly depending on the Atlantic multidecadal oscillation (a warming and cooling cycle), and is affected by its proximity to the Atlantic Ocean.
  • Winters in New York City are typically cold, spring and autumn are moderate and mild (but can change unpredictably), and summer is usually hot and humid.
  • Central Park is an urban park in the Manhattan borough, and encompasses 843 acres; it sees tens of millions of visitors each year.

CULTURE AND ENTERTAINMENT IN NEW YORK CITY

  • Each borough in New York City is known for its own distinct cultural influences and unique style.
  • New York City is a popular location for the American entertainment industry – in fact it was the 2nd largest centre for filmmaking and TV production in the United States.
  • New York City is home to many Universities and Colleges, including Columbia University, Fordham University, New York University, Cooper Union, and Barnard College.
  • New York City has been described as the cultural capital of the world by several institutions worldwide.
  • Broadway theatre is located in Manhattan and is one of the most well-known performance theatres in the world.
  • New York City is home to several art museums, historic sites, and cultural institutions.

New York City Worksheets

This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about New York City across 22 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use New York City worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the New York City which comprises 5 boroughs sitting where the Hudson River meets the Atlantic Ocean. At its core is Manhattan, a densely populated borough that’s among the world’s major commercial, financial and cultural centers. Its iconic sites include skyscrapers such as the Empire State Building and sprawling Central Park. Broadway theater is staged in neon-lit Times Square.

Complete List Of Included Worksheets

  • New York and the Revolution
  • Fun With Flags
  • New York City Crossword
  • Museum Madness
  • New York City Wordsearch
  • Lights, Camera, Action!
  • High in the Sky
  • The Atlantic Slave Trade
  • True or False?
  • Postcard from NYC

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Link will appear as New York City Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, November 20, 2018

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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