History of Albany

Albany was one of the earlier permanent settlements in the thirteen original American colonies and is the second oldest chartered city in the United States. The original native settlement in the area was called Penpotawotnot. Its colonial history began when Englishman Henry Hudson, exploring for the Dutch East India Company on the Halve Maen (or Half Moon) reached the area in 1609. In 1614, the company constructed Fort Nassau, its first fur trading post near present-day Albany. Commencement of the fur trade provoked hostility from the French colony in Canada and amongst the native tribes, who vied to control the trade. In 1624, Fort Orange was established in the area. Both forts were named in honor of the Dutch House of Orange-Nassau. Nearby areas were incorporated as the village of Beverwyck in 1652.

When the land was taken by the English in 1664, the name was changed to Albany, in honor of the Duke of York and Albany, who later became King James II of England and James VII of Scotland. Duke of Albany was a Scottish title given since 1398, generally to a younger son of the Scottish King. The name is ultimately derived from Alba, the Gaelic name for Scotland. Albany was formally chartered as a municipality by Governor Thomas Dongan on 1686-07-22. The “Dongan Charter” [1] was virtually identical in content to the charter awarded to New York City three months earlier. Pieter Schuyler was appointed first mayor of Albany the day the charter was signed.

In 1754, representatives of seven British North American colonies met in the Albany Congress. Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania presented the Albany Plan of Union, the first formal proposal to unite the colonies. Although it was never adopted by Parliament, it was an important precursor to the U.S. Constitution. Albany native Philip Livingston was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. William Alexander, a general in the Revolutionary War, died in Albany in 1783. Several US Navy ships have since been named USS Albany in honor of the City’s historical and military importance.

In 1797, the state capital of New York was moved from Kingston to Albany, about 50 miles north. The State Capitol building was constructed between 1867 and 1899 and inspired by the Hotel de Ville (City Hall) in Paris, France. Notable architectural features include its “Million Dollar Staircase.”

The City’s location on the Hudson River made it a center of transportation from the outset. In 1807, Robert Fulton initiated a steamboat line from New York City to Albany. On October 26, 1825 the Erie Canal was completed, forming a continuous water route from the Great Lakes to New York City. The Mohawk and Hudson Railroad between Albany and Schenectady, New York opened on September 24, 1831 and subsequently became part of the New York Central Railroad. Erastus Corning, a noted industrialist and founder of the New York Central, called Albany home and served as its mayor from 1834 to 1837. His great-grandson, Erastus Corning II, served as mayor of Albany from 1942 until 1983, the longest single mayoral term of any major city in the United States.

Between 1965 and 1978, the Empire State Plaza was constructed in Albany’s Midtown, west of Downtown and south of the Capitol building. It was, and remains, controversial, in large part because it required the demolition of several historical neighborhoods and the forced removal of their inhabitants. The Plaza was conceived by Governor Nelson Rockefeller and is now named in his honor. The Erastus Corning Tower stands 589 feet (180 meters) high, the tallest building in New York State outside New York City. Four other smaller towers, the Legislative Office Building, the State Library and Museum, the Justice Building, and the impressive performing arts center known as “The Egg” make up the rest of the Empire State Plaza. The design of Empire State Plaza is based loosely on the National Congress complex in the Brazilian capital of Brasilia.

Chester A. Arthur, 21st U.S. president, is buried in Albany Rural Cemetery in Menands, north of the City.

The settlement of Fort Orange, named for the royal family of the Netherlands, was established in 1624 and 1652, Pieter Stuyvesant, governor of New Netherland, proclaimed that Fort Orange should become the village of Beverwyck.

In 1664, when the Dutch surrendered to the British without a battle, King Charles II granted a large tract of land including Fort Orange to his brother James, the Duke of York and Albany. Thus, Beverwyck became Albany and New Amsterdam became New York. Albany remained under British rule until the American Revolution.

On July 22, 1686, Governor Thomas Dongan granted a charter recognizing Albany as a City and appointed Pieter Schuyler as the first Mayor. Since that time, 74 men have served as Mayor of which 34 were of Dutch descent.

In 1754, Benjamin Franklin and other colonial leaders met in Albany to draft the Albany Plan of Union as a common defense against the French. The document was never adopted by Parliament, but is seen as an important precursor to the U.S. Constitution.

Albany supported the First Continental Congress in Philadelphia and served as a focal point for military planning and as a supply center for the Revolutionary War effort. Albany native Philip Livingston was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence.

In 1797, Albany officially became the Capital of New York and in the 19th century, the City became a center of transportation with the advent of the steamboat and the Erie Canal in 1825. Travel by rail began in 1831 between Schenectady and Albany.

The City has long been a center for education, finance and politics. The presidential names of Martin Van Buren, Grover Cleveland, Theodore and Franklin Roosevelt and Chester A. Arthur are all associated with Albany. In 1921, Democrat William S. Hakett defeated Republican William Van Rensselaer in the mayoral race. This marked the rise of the famous Albany Democratic “machine” headed by Dan O’ Connell; the city has remained a Democratic stronghold to this day.

In the year 2000, the city is undergoing a dramatic revitalization and remains a center of government and culture in upstate New York.