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Mar 2025
44m 38s

The Birth of New York City

History Hit
About this episode

Exactly 400 years ago, the Dutch West India Company built Fort Amsterdam on the southern tip of Manhattan island, a beacon of power and resilience against threats from Europeans and Indigenous Americans. But how did things change when England invaded in 1664?


Professor Suzannah Lipscomb is joined by Russell Shorto, author of Taking Manhattan, to uncover the untold stories of New York City's emergence as a hub of capitalism and pluralism, laying the groundwork for America's rise and shaping the city's enduring legacy.


Presented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Alice Smith. Edited by Amy Haddow. Produced by Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.

All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.

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