The history of Manhattan

The Dutch were the first Europeans to settle Manhattan. To protect themselves from attacs, they built a sturdy wooden wall.

Although it`s now long gone, this wall gave it`s name to a street in Lower Manhattan and the street, in turn, became synonymous with American capitalism. The street, of course, is Wall Street. The New York Stock Exchange and the American Stokc Exchange are both in the Wall Street area. So are many stokc brokers, investment blanks and others bank, and headquarters of many large corporations.

To escape the commotion of Wall Street you can visit the nearby South Street Seaport, an open area of low buildings on the East River. In addition to many shops and restaraunts, the seaport has a museum.

Two good ways to get the larger picture of New York are to circle it in a bout and to hover over it in helicopter. In the financial district, thogh, there`s anouther way to see New York. The twin towers of the World Trade Centre rise 1,350 feet above the city. There`s an observation deck on the 107th floor of one of the towers.

Appropriately, the very first business deal in Manhattan was made in what became the financial district. As every American schoolchild knows, the Dutch bought Manhattan from the Indians, for the rediculously low price of 24 dollars worth of beads and trinkets.

There is, however, another, less known side of this: evidently, the Indians who had sold Manhattan did not themselves live there or in any sense own it. The Dutch and the Indians alike walked away pleased.

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