1. New York City began as New Amsterdam, founded by the Dutch in 1624 as a trading post for furs. It was later captured by the English and renamed New York. 2. In the early 20th century, New York saw tremendous growth and became a global economic center, but the Great Depression devastated the city, with 1/3 of residents losing their jobs. 3. Mayor Fiorello La Guardia and Robert Moses worked to rebuild the city through new parks, schools and infrastructure, though their policies exacerbated racial tensions and inequality.