The document discusses the history of New York City from its founding as New Amsterdam by the Dutch West India Company in the early 1600s. It then covers the British takeover in 1664, renaming it New York, Alexander Hamilton's leadership in the late 1700s, and Robert Moses' impact on infrastructure development in the 1900s. The document also briefly discusses the Harlem Riots of the 1930s-1960s and New Deal public works programs during the Great Depression.