New York harbor was visited by Verrazano in 1524, and the Hudson River was first explored by Henry Hudson in 1609. The Dutch settled here permanently in 1624 and for 40 years they ruled over the colony of New Netherland. It was conquered by the English in 1664 and was then named New York in honor of the Duke of York. Existing as a colony of Great Britain for over a century, New York declared its independence on July 9, 1776, becoming one of the original 13 states of the Federal Union. The next year, on April 20, 1777, New York’s first constitution was adopted.

In many ways, New York State was the principal battleground of the Revolutionary War. Approximately one-third of the skirmishes and engagements of the war were fought on New York soil. The Battle of Saratoga, one of the decisive battles of the world, was the turning point of the Revolution leading to the French alliance and thus to eventual victory. New York City, long occupied by British troops, was evacuated on November 25, 1783. There, on December 4 at Fraunces Tavern, General George Washington bade farewell to his officers.

Technical restraints that had traditionally limited building height vanished with the introduction of steel beam construction techniques and improved elevators. The Manhattan skyline was beginning to assume its distinctive form. Multifamily residences, particularly in Manhattan, were growing in popularity and new retail districts were springing up to meet new demands. Office space was expanding; by 1900, New York City had become the financial center of the country.

Although the concept of enacting a set of laws to govern land use was revolutionary, the time had come for the city to regulate its physical growth. The huge shadow cast by the 42-story Equitable Building, built in 1915 on lower Broadway, deprived neighboring properties of light and air. Warehouses and factories were intruding into fashionable retail areas on lower Fifth Avenue.

The pioneering 1916 Zoning Resolution, though a relatively simple document, established height and setback controls and separated what were seen as functionally incompatible uses — such as factories — from residential neighborhoods. The ordinance became a model for urban communities throughout the United States as other growing cities found that New York’s problems were not unique.

But while other cities were adopting the New York model, the model itself refused to stand still. New transportation systems changed land use patterns and created traffic and parking problems never dreamed of in 1916. The Resolution was constantly amended in response to the changing needs of the changing city — new technology, changes in land use, population shifts and a continuing influx of immigrants who needed housing. The amended Resolution also had to meet the New York State requirement that it be in accordance with a “well-considered plan.”

Getting to the core of the “Big Apple” was what Giovanna Di Verrazzano (the bridge’s namesake) wanted to do. In 1524, Di Verrazzano, an Italian, was the first European to explore the New York Harbor. In the new world, Di Verrazzano met Native American tribes such as the Lenape, Manahattoes, and Raritan.

Although Di Verrazzano was the first explorer to visit New York City, it is Dutch explorer Henry Hudson who is credited with bringing Europe to the “Big Apple.” After several failed attempts to find the Northeast Passage to Asia, Hudson received funding from the Dutch East India Company, a popular tea corporation, to explore the world in 1609.