Would you believe that a city that is one of the most densely populated places in the world was sold for some sewing materials? The big apple, that’s what she’s called, and she’s got about 1.6 million people living in the subways, high-rises, and streets. The name Manhattan is derived from the term “manna-hata”, many hills.
On this day May 4th, in 1626, Peter Minuit buys Manhattan for $24 worth of buttons and cloth from the Native American tribe the Canarsee. So as you may see, Minuit got a great deal, except that it seems like he may have bought it from the wrong tribe. The Canarsee were a passing tribe and had no ownership over the land.
Later on there would be another sale, but none the less neither side felt like they had been ripped off. The primary reasoning for creating Manhattan was as a Dutch fur trading site, so it was beneficial for sides for the Europeans to be settled so that the Native Americans would be able to acquire tangibles they desired, including alcohol. Manhattan would be given to the English in the Treaty of Westminster in 1674. Manhattan is one of the most visited places in the world and can be seen in films, movies, and commercials worldwide.