History and Culture

Long Island, has had a long recorded history from the first European settlements in the seventeenth century to today. Much influenced by construction of railroads in the 19th century, it experienced growth in tourism as well as the development of towns and villages into some of the first modern suburbs in the United States.

Arrival of Europeans

At the time of European contact, the Lenape people (named the Delaware by Europeans) inhabited the western end of the Island, and spoke the Munsee dialect of the Algonquian language family. Giovanni da Verrazzano was the first European to record an encounter with these people when he entered what is now New York Bay in 1524. The eastern portion of the island was inhabited by speakers of the Mohegan-Montauk-Narragansett language group.

The Era of Dutch and British Colonization (1600-1775)

The western portion of Long Island was settled by the Dutch, who named it Lange Eylant. They also had early settlements in the 1600s on what are now Manhattan and Staten Island. The eastern region was settled by English Puritans from New Haven, Connecticut, settling in Southold on October 21, 1640.

The entirety of Long Island came under English dominion in 1664 when the Dutch colony of New Amsterdam was taken over by the English and renamed New York. In 1683, the English established the three original counties on Long Island: Kings, Queens, and Suffolk (all names of “counties” in modern day New York State).

The American Revolutionary War (1775-1778)

During the American Revolutionary War, the island was captured from General George Washington early by the British in the Battle of Long Island, the largest battle of the entire war. The island remained a British stronghold until the end of the war, and was the center of much of General Washington's espionage activities due to the proximity to the British North American military headquarters in New York City. After the British victory on Long Island many Patriots fled, leaving mostly Loyalists behind.

Long Island in the 19^th Century (1800-1900)

The Long Island Rail Road was begun as a combined ferry-rail route to Boston via Greenport. The predecessor to the Long Island Rail Road began limited service in 1836 and by 1844 had reached the east end of Long Island, connecting the Island with New York City and paving the way for Long Island's future growth.

By the late 19th century, Long Island had become a summer refuge for residents of New York City. Many famous names still in news headlines today vacationed on the Island.

J.P. Morgan – The Landing, in Glen Cove, is named for the spot where 19th century steam ship lines would disembark summer visitors, not far from where J. P. Morgan had his summer mansion.

President Theodore Roosevelt – Long Island was the home of a branch of the prominent Roosevelt family, including author Robert Roosevelt, and his more famous nephew, President Theodore Roosevelt, who built a summer home at Sagamore Hill on the North Shore of Nassau County

Vanderbilt Family & Charles Pratt – North Shore of Long Island were also the homes of the wealthy Vanderbilt family and late 19th century financiers and industrialists, such as John Paul Getty, Charles Pratt and others.

The Brooklyn Bridge

The Brooklyn Bridge is the first of seven bridges constructed across the East River, connecting Long Island with the Borough of Manhattan (in background).

Until the 1883 completion of the Brooklyn Bridge, the only connection between Long Island and the rest of the United States was by boat. Other bridges and tunnels followed, and a suburban character spread as population increased.

The “Figurative Separation” of Long Island and New York City (1899)

On January 1, 1898, Kings County and portions of Queens were consolidated into The City of Greater New York, abolishing all cities and towns within them. The easternmost 280 square miles (725 km²) of Queens County, which were not part of the consolidation plan, formed a separate county in 1899. "Nassau", one of several names by which the island was once known, was revived to represent the newly established county. The figurative "separation" of Brooklyn and Queens from Long Island in popular usage must have begun around this time, since the Battle of Long Island and Long Island City (both nowadays in "The City") both allude to their geographical location on the island.

Long Island in the 20^th Century

Long Island's Transformation – The Roaring 20's, The Great Depression, WWII (1900-1948)

In the 1920s and 1930s, Long Island began the transformation from backwoods and farms to the paradigm of the American suburb. Railroads made possible commuting suburbs before construction of the Long Island Expressway and other major roadways. Robert Moses created various parkway projects to span the island, along with state parks for the enjoyment of many. Gradually development started to follow the parkways, with various communities springing up along the more traveled routes.

Early in the 20th century, elevated and subway trains allowed masses of workers to commute to Manhattan jobs from Queens and eastern Brooklyn, which offered cheaper and larger housing but were far beyond reasonable walking distance. Immigrants spilling over from New York City made comfortable lives on Long Island. The immigration waves of Southern and Eastern Europe have been pivotal in creating the diversity on Long Island that many other American regions lack. These immigrations are reflected in the large Irish American, Italian American and Jewish-American populations. Typically the immigrants lived in the city first or the more urban western parts of the island, and their children and grandchildren moved further east. Late 20th century immigrants, by contrast, often settled directly in Nassau County and other suburban areas.

After World War II, Long Island's population skyrocketed, mostly in Nassau County and western Suffolk County. People who worked and lived in New York City moved out to Long Island in new developments built during the post-war boom. The most famous post-war development was the town of Levittown: the area became the first place to massively reproduce houses on a grand scale- providing opportunities for GIs returning home to start a family. All modern suburbs from around the world can find their roots in Levittown.

Many immigrants started moving from New York City to Long Island during this era and have made comfortable lives for themselves on the Island. The immigration waves of southern and eastern Europe, followed by more recent ones from Latin America, have been pivotal in creating the diversity on Long Island that many other American regions lack. These immigrations are reflected in the large Italian American, Irish American and Jewish American populations. Typically the immigrants lived in the more urban western parts of the island, and their descendants farther east. Late 20th century immigrants have often moved directly to Nassau County and other suburban areas.