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New York in 1600's?

What was something very successful in New York in the 1600's? If it was business say what type of business. My sister is doing a project and she can't think of a prop to bring. If anyone has any ideas on props for 1600's New York please list it!

Public Comments

1. new amsterdam, as new york was called at it's founding in 1624 was merely a colony on the tip of manhattan. they only thing they did back them was fur trading, particular beaver pelts. the seal and flag of new york city has a representation of two beavers on it indicating this particular aspect of it's history. later, the city earned an exclusive monopoly to mill and export flour, and that alone tripled the city's wealth. illustration of the seal of the city of new york http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seal_of_New_York_City "The flour-barrels were chosen by the Council because they symbolized the commercial wealth generated by the Bolton Act of 1678, which gave the city an exclusive right to bolt and export flour. The two beavers, symbols of the fur trade, were taken from the old Dutch seal." http://pages.infinit.net/cerame/heraldicamerica/etudes/newyork.htm NOTE: that webpage spelled it wrong, it's the BOLTING act. and it's represented by the flour barrels and the windmills together. the bolting act gave new york city an exclusive right to bolt and export flour. however, by 1694 the act was repealed because it created a great financial hardship to towns outside of nyc. milling and exporting flour was a such a boon to new york city, that it tripled the city's wealth during those 16 years it held the monopoly. see "New York's 250th Anniversary" New York Times Magazine, June 20, 1915 http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9501E6D7123FE233A25753C2A9609C946496D6CF
2. I know New York was once known for it fur trade. Check the link below which will help you out more. Good luck Native New Yorker