1625 : The birth of New York City
with historian James Nevius
Date
Location
Sponsors
Admission
Open to the public
RSVP required
About the Event
If you’ve ever taken a look at the official Seal of the City of New York, you’ve seen the year “1625” written across the bottom. But why was that year picked as the genesis of New York?
Marking the 400th Anniversary of this event, James Nevius — whose family arrived in Manhattan when it was still New Amsterdam — will explore the foundations of the city, from Henry Hudson’s ill-fated voyage up the river that now bears its name through the eventual Dutch surrender to English forces in 1664.
Along the way, we’ll talk about the importance of 1625 in the city’s mythos and explore what it was like to live on the Dutch frontier in the 17th
century.
About the Speaker
Along with his wife Michelle, James Nevius is the author of multiple books about New York, including “Footprints in New York: Tracing the Lives of Four Centuries of New Yorkers,” and “Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City.” The couple are renowned for their profound grasp of New York City – then and now – and their escorted tours of the city are vastly popular.
For those interested, James and Michelle will be leading a companion walking tour of Dutch Lower Manhattan on Saturday, September 27, at 10:00am that follows in the footsteps of those first Dutch settlers. Tickets can be purchased separately here.
Hungry?
Grab a bite to eat after the event from our dining room (a normally member-only benefit)! Ticketed attendees who would like to stay for drinks and dinner should make dining reservations in advance via our Reservations page with the message “1625 NYC”.