History of New York City Manhattan. It flooded low-lying areas of Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island. Electrical power was lost in many parts of the city and its suburbs. Boroughs Streets and thoroughfares Small islands Miscellany History of New York City The written history of New York City began with the first European explorer the Italian Giovanni da Verrazzano in 1524. European settlement began with the Dutch in 1609. The "Sons of Liberty" destroyed British authority in New York City, and the Stamp Act Congress of representatives from throughout the Thirteen Colonies met in the city in 1765 to organize resistance to British policies. The
Flags of New York City to which is added an arc of five five-pointed stars (representing each of the five boroughs) in blue above the seal. The dimensions of the Mayor's flag are set at 33 inches by 44 inches. The New York City Council uses a variant of the city flag, with the word "COUNCIL" underneath the seal. Currently, only Brooklyn and the Bronx have official borough flags. The other three boroughs have standard designs in current use, though they have never been officially adopted. Staten Island borough lawmakers pushed to have their flag officially recognized by the state in the 1990s and early