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102-538: The Lower Manhattan–Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project was a priority of former New York Governor George Pataki . His successor, former Governor Eliot Spitzer , said that he did not view the project as a top priority, compared to construction of the Second Avenue Subway , LIRR East Side Access , or replacement of the Tappan Zee Bridge , and wanted a careful evaluation of the benefits of

204-665: A chateau on Castle Island , within present-day Albany; it was abandoned the following year due to flooding. In 1614, the Dutch, under the command of Hendrick Corstiaensen, rebuilt the French chateau, which they called Fort Nassau . Fort Nassau was the first Dutch settlement in North America, and was located along the Hudson River, also within present-day Albany. The small fort served as a trading post and warehouse. Located on

306-628: A humid subtropical climate . Weather in New York is heavily influenced by two continental air masses: a warm, humid one from the southwest and a cold, dry one from the northwest. Downstate New York (comprising New York City, Long Island, and lower portions of the Hudson Valley) have rather hot summers with some periods of high humidity and cold, damp winters which are relatively mild compared to temperatures in Upstate New York, due to

408-942: A 1,500-foot (460 m) long elevated structure would be built to connect the AirTrain to the existing LIRR Atlantic Branch ; a new tunnel would be required between the Atlantic Terminal in Brooklyn and the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. The feasibility study considered four options to cross the East River: The feasibility study recommended constructing a new tunnel under the East River, and estimated that as many as 100,000 LIRR commuters and 4,000 to 6,000 AirTrain riders would use

510-533: A career most natives had turned to in hopes of trading with whites first. This completely changed the ethnography of the region, and most large game was hunted out before whites ever fully explored the land. Still, afterward, the Iroquois Confederacy offered shelter to refugees of the Mascouten , Erie, Chonnonton , Tutelo , Saponi , and Tuscarora nations. The Tuscarora became the sixth nation of

612-580: A considerable amount of time. For years there were proposals to extend the LIRR Atlantic Branch to Lower Manhattan, but none came to pass. The proposal again came to light during efforts to rebuild the transportation system of Lower Manhattan following the September 11 attacks, as the proposed rail link would assist in the economic recovery of the downtown area and also serve the increased population of residents and employees resulting from

714-709: A major threat to the Abenaki and Mohicans, while the Susquehannock briefly conquered the Lenape in the 1600s. The most devastating event of the century, however, was the Beaver Wars . From approximately 1640–1680, the Iroquois peoples waged campaigns which extended from modern-day Michigan to Virginia against Algonquian and Siouan tribes, as well as each other. The aim was to control more land for animal trapping ,

816-534: A role in the debate over income taxes. The repeal of the Civil War income taxes in the 1870s would eventually be raised in 1894 with the passage of a new income tax law. The Supreme Court's decision in Pollock v. Farmers' Loan & Trust Co. , 157 U.S. 429 (1895) ruled the income tax as unconstitutional, since it was not based on apportionment. The fight for an income tax finally culminated with

918-598: A small group known as the Ouabano migrated southwest into West Virginia at an earlier time. They may have merged with the Shawnee . The Mohawk and Susquehannock were the most militaristic . Trying to corner trade with the Europeans, they targeted other tribes. The Mohawk were also known for refusing white settlement on their land and discriminating against any of their people who converted to Christianity . They posed

1020-531: A specific tax or trust fund; national social security; reciprocal trade agreements ; tariff and import quotas, and related matters thereto; and the transportation of dutiable goods. It is considered to be one of the most powerful committees in Congress. The Committee on Finance is one of the original committees established in the Senate. First created on December 11, 1815, as a select committee and known as

1122-675: A springboard for the Wagner Act and the National Labor Board . Probably the largest and most lasting pieces of legislation shaped by the Finance Committee during the New Deal was the 1935 Social Security Act . Once again, the committee received jurisdiction owing to the payroll taxes that would be enacted to pay for the new program. The act was the first effort by the federal government to provide benefits to

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1224-659: A temperature of −13 °F (−25 °C) or lower can be expected in the northern highlands (Northern Plateau) and 5 °F (−15 °C) or colder in the southwestern and east-central highlands of the Southern Tier. New York had a record-high temperature of 108   °F (42.2   °C) on July 22, 1926, in the Albany area. Its record-lowest temperature during the winter was −52   °F (−46.7   °C) in 1979. Governors Island, Manhattan , in New York Harbor ,

1326-676: A total area of 54,555 square miles (141,297 km ) and ranks as the 27th-largest state by size . The highest elevation in New York is Mount Marcy in the Adirondack High Peaks in Northern New York , at 5,344 feet (1,629 meters) above sea level ; while the state's lowest point is at sea level, on the Atlantic Ocean in Downstate New York . In contrast with New York City's urban landscape,

1428-611: A water border with Rhode Island , while Connecticut has land and sea borders. Except for areas near the New York Harbor and the Upper Delaware River , New York has a mostly land border with two Mid-Atlantic states , New Jersey and Pennsylvania . New York is the only state that borders both the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean . The Hudson River begins near Lake Tear of the Clouds and flows south through

1530-687: Is a standing committee of the United States Senate . The Committee concerns itself with matters relating to taxation and other revenue measures generally, and those relating to the insular possessions ; bonded debt of the United States ; customs , collection districts, and ports of entry and delivery; deposit of public moneys; general revenue sharing ; health programs under the Social Security Act (notably Medicare and Medicaid ) and health programs financed by

1632-684: Is a state in the Northeastern United States . One of the Mid-Atlantic states, it borders the Atlantic Ocean , New England , Canada, and the Great Lakes . With almost 19.6 million residents, it is the fourth-most populous state in the United States , and the 27th-largest state by area , with a total area of 54,556 square miles (141,300 km ). New York has a varied geography . The southeastern part of

1734-467: Is among the largest university systems in the nation. New York City is home to the headquarters of the United Nations , and it is sometimes described as the world's most important city, the cultural , financial , and media epicenter, and the capital of the world. The Native American tribes in what is now New York were predominantly Iroquois and Algonquian . Long Island

1836-607: Is anchored by the city of Syracuse ; between the central and western parts of the state, New York is dominated by the Finger Lakes , a popular tourist destination. To the south, along the state border with Pennsylvania , the Southern Tier sits atop the Allegheny Plateau , representing some of the northernmost reaches of Appalachia . New York was one of the original Thirteen Colonies that went on to form

1938-530: Is covered by ice. The summer climate is cool in the Adirondacks, Catskills, and at higher elevations of the Southern Tier. Buffalo and its metropolitan area are described as climate change havens for their weather pattern in Western New York. Summer daytime temperatures range from the high 70s to low 80s   °F (25 to 28   °C), over most of the state. In the majority of winter seasons,

2040-536: Is planned to host a US$ 1 billion research and education center poised to make New York the global leader in addressing the climate crisis . Due to New York's relatively large land area and unique geography compared to other eastern states, there are several distinct ecoregions present in the state, many of them reduced heavily due to urbanization and other human activities: Southern Great Lakes forests in Western New York , New England–Acadian forests on

2142-658: Is shared between New York and Ontario as it flows on the Niagara River from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario. The Delaware River Basin Compact, signed in 1961 by New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania , Delaware , and the federal government, regulates the utilization of water of the Delaware system. Under the Köppen climate classification , most of New York has a humid continental climate , though New York City and Long Island have

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2244-527: Is true for New York City: four of its five boroughs are situated on three islands at the mouth of the Hudson River : Manhattan Island ; Staten Island ; and Long Island , which contains Brooklyn and Queens at its western end. The state's borders include a water boundary in (clockwise from the west) two Great Lakes ( Lake Erie and Lake Ontario , which are connected by the Niagara River );

2346-581: The Adirondack Mountains and the Catskill Mountains (part of the wider Appalachian Mountains ). The east–west Mohawk River Valley bisects the more mountainous regions of Upstate and flows into the north–south Hudson River valley near the state capital of Albany . Western New York , home to the cities of Buffalo and Rochester , is part of the Great Lakes region and borders Lake Ontario and Lake Erie . Central New York

2448-531: The American Civil War , in terms of finances, volunteer soldiers, and supplies. The state provided more than 370,000 soldiers to the Union armies. Over 53,000 New Yorkers died in service, roughly one of every seven who served. However, Irish draft riots in 1862 were a significant embarrassment. Since the early 19th century, New York City has been the largest port of entry for legal immigration into

2550-651: The Capital Region entered Phase   1 of reopening. On May 26, the Hudson Valley began Phase   1, and New York City partially reopened on June 8. During July 2020, a federal judge ruled Governor Andrew Cuomo and Mayor Bill de Blasio exceeded authority by limiting religious gatherings to 25% when others operated at 50% capacity. On Thanksgiving Eve, the U.S. Supreme Court blocked additional religious restrictions imposed by Cuomo for areas with high infection rates. The state of New York covers

2652-620: The Continental Army at the Battle of Saratoga in 1777, a success that influenced France to ally with the revolutionaries; the state constitution was enacted in 1777. New York became the 11th state to ratify the United States Constitution , on July 26, 1788. In an attempt to retain their sovereignty and remain an independent nation positioned between the new United States and British North America , four of

2754-465: The Declaration of Independence on July 9, 1776. The New York State Constitution was framed by a convention which assembled at White Plains on July 10, 1776, and after repeated adjournments and changes of location, finished its work at Kingston on Sunday evening, April 20, 1777, when the new constitution drafted by John Jay was adopted with but one dissenting vote. It was not submitted to

2856-681: The Great Lakes , with the port of New York City. Improving transportation, it enabled additional population migration to territories west of New York. After 1850, railroads largely replaced the canal. The connectivity offered by the canal, and subsequently the railroads, led to an economic boom across the entire state through the 1950s. Major corporations that got their start in New York during this time include American Express , AT&T , Bristol Myers Squibb , Carrier , Chase , General Electric , Goldman Sachs , IBM , Kodak , Macy's , NBC , Pfizer , Random House , RCA , Tiffany & Co. , Wells Fargo , Western Union , and Xerox . New York City

2958-777: The Iroquois Nations fought on the side of the British; only the Oneida and their dependents, the Tuscarora, allied themselves with the Americans. In retaliation for attacks on the frontier led by Joseph Brant and Loyalist Mohawk forces , the Sullivan Expedition of 1779 destroyed nearly 50 Iroquois villages, adjacent croplands and winter stores, forcing many refugees to British-held Niagara. As allies of

3060-744: The Lake Champlain Valley . The Great Appalachian Valley dominates eastern New York and contains Lake Champlain Valley as its northern half and the Hudson Valley as its southern half within the state. The Tug Hill region arises as a cuesta east of Lake Ontario . The state of New York contains a part of the Marcellus shale , which extends into Ohio and Pennsylvania. Upstate and Downstate are often used informally to distinguish New York City or its greater metropolitan area from

3162-700: The Montague Street Tunnel , used the LIRR Atlantic Branch from Atlantic Terminal to Jamaica Station , and then used the AirTrain JFK 's trackage to JFK Airport. In 2004, a feasibility study was completed by the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), Port Authority of New York and New Jersey , Lower Manhattan Development Corporation , and New York City Economic Development Corporation to evaluate options for potential routes. At Jamaica Station ,

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3264-558: The New Deal . The committee received jurisdiction over the National Industrial Recovery Act because of tax code changes in the bill. The new bureaucracy was President Franklin D. Roosevelt 's attempt to stimulate the economy and promote jobs for unemployed Americans while also regulating businesses. The National Recovery Administration would ultimately fail as it lost public support, but the act served as

3366-534: The New England border, Northeastern coastal forests in the lower Hudson Valley and western Long Island , Atlantic coastal pine barrens in southern Long Island, Northeastern interior dry–mesic oak forest in the eastern Southern Tier and upper Hudson Valley, Appalachian–Blue Ridge forests in the Hudson Valley), Central Appalachian dry oak–pine forest around the Hudson Valley, Eastern Great Lakes and Hudson Lowlands , Eastern forest–boreal transition in

3468-654: The New York State Legislature created the Board of Commissioners of Immigration to regulate immigration. The first permanent immigration depot in New York was established in 1855 at Castle Garden , a converted War of 1812 era fort located within what is now Battery Park , at the tip of Lower Manhattan. The first immigrants to arrive at the new depot were aboard three ships that had just been released from quarantine . Castle Garden served as New York's immigrant depot until it closed on April 18, 1890, when

3570-468: The Payne–Aldrich Tariff Act of 1909. In order to pass the new tariff Senate leaders, including Chairman Nelson Aldrich , allowed for a Constitutional Amendment to be passed. Four years later the 16th Amendment was officially ratified and in 1913 the nation's first peacetime income tax was instituted. Around that same time the committee lost jurisdiction over banking and currency issues to

3672-641: The Philadelphia Convention , which drafted the United States Constitution, in which he also took part. The new government was to be a strong federal national government to replace the relatively weaker confederation of individual states. Following heated debate, which included the publication of The Federalist Papers as a series of installments in New York City newspapers, New York was the 11th state to ratify

3774-673: The Province of New York . During the American Revolutionary War , a group of colonists eventually succeeded in establishing independence, and the state ratified the then new United States Constitution in 1788. From the early 19th century, New York's development of its interior, beginning with the construction of the Erie Canal , gave it incomparable advantages over other regions of the United States. The state built its political, cultural, and economic ascendancy over

3876-418: The Susquehannock and the Erie . Many of the Wampanoag and Mohican peoples were caught up in King Philip's War , a joint effort of many New England tribes to push Europeans off their land. After the death of their leader, Chief Philip Metacomet , most of those peoples fled inland, splitting into the Abenaki and the Schaghticoke . Many of the Mohicans remained in the region until the 1800s, however,

3978-476: The United States Constitution , on July 26, 1788. New York City remained the national capital under the new constitution until 1790 when it was moved to Philadelphia until 1800, when it was relocated to its current location in Washington, D.C. and was the site of the inauguration of President George Washington, In the first session of the Supreme Court of the United States , the United States Bill of Rights were drafted. Transportation in Western New York

4080-471: The World Trade Center site . On October 29 and 30, 2012, Hurricane Sandy caused extensive destruction of the state's shorelines, ravaging portions of New York City, Long Island , and southern Westchester with record-high storm surge , with severe flooding and high winds causing power outages for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers, and leading to gasoline shortages and disruption of mass transit systems. The storm and its profound effects have prompted

4182-517: The ring-necked pheasant , northern bobwhite , ruffed grouse , spruce grouse , Canada jay , wild turkey , blue jay , eastern bluebird (the state bird ), American robin , and black-capped chickadee . Birds of prey that are present in the state are great horned owls , bald eagles , red-tailed hawks , American kestrels , and northern harriers . Waterfowl like mallards , wood ducks , canvasbacks , American black ducks , trumpeter swans , Canada geese , and blue-winged teals can be found in

Lower Manhattan–Jamaica/JFK Transportation Project - Misplaced Pages Continue

4284-539: The white-footed mouse , North American least shrew , little brown bat , muskrat , eastern gray squirrel , eastern cottontail , American ermine , groundhog , striped skunk , fisher , North American river otter , raccoon , bobcat , eastern coyote , red fox , gray fox white-tailed deer , moose , and American black bear ; extirpated mammals include Canada lynx , American bison , wolverine , Allegheny woodrat , caribou , eastern elk , eastern cougar , and eastern wolf . Some species of birds in New York are

4386-548: The Adirondacks, Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests around the Adirondacks, and Allegheny Highlands forests , most of which are in the western Southern Tier. Some species that can be found in this state are American ginseng , starry stonewort , waterthyme , water chestnut, eastern poison ivy , poison sumac , giant hogweed , cow parsnip and common nettle . There are more than 70 mammal species, more than 20 bird species, some species of amphibians, and several reptile species. Species of mammals that are found in New York are

4488-438: The British, the Iroquois were forced out of New York, although they had not been part of treaty negotiations. They resettled in Canada after the war and were given land grants by the Crown. In the treaty settlement, the British ceded most Indian lands to the new United States. Because New York made a treaty with the Iroquois without getting Congressional approval, some of the land purchases have been subject to land claim suits since

4590-401: The Bronx, and an extension of New York City Subway service directly to JFK Airport via the AirTrain JFK. The new set of extensions proposed by the RPA, dubbed "MetroLink", consisted of 31 new metro stations, 3 recycled commuter rail stations, and 19 new route miles of track. A subway service would have started at Grand Central–42nd Street , gone down the IND Second Avenue Line and to Brooklyn via

4692-416: The Committee on Finance and an [sic] Uniform National Currency, it was formed to alleviate economic issues arising from the War of 1812. On December 10, 1816, the Senate officially created the Committee on Finance as a standing committee . Originally, the Committee had power over tariffs, taxation, banking and currency issues and appropriations. Under this authority the committee played an influential role in

4794-509: The House Ways and Means Committee only has jurisdiction over Medicare. (The House Energy and Commerce Committee has jurisdiction over Medicaid.) The other difference in terms of power is that all revenue raising measures must originate in the House, giving the Ways and Means Committee a slight edge in setting tax policy. In addition to having jurisdiction over legislation, the Committee on Finance has extensive oversight powers. It has authority to investigate, review and evaluate existing laws, and

4896-466: The Hudson River flood plain, the rudimentary fort was washed away by flooding in 1617, and abandoned for good after Fort Orange (New Netherland) was built nearby in 1623. Henry Hudson's 1609 voyage marked the beginning of European involvement in the area. Sailing for the Dutch East India Company and looking for a passage to Asia, he entered the Upper New York Bay on September 11 of that year. Word of his findings encouraged Dutch merchants to explore

4998-482: The Iroquois Confederacy include the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Tuscarora and Mohawk. The Iroquois fought for both sides during the Revolutionary War ; afterwards many pro-British Iroquois migrated to Canada. Today, the Iroquois still live in several enclaves across New York and Ontario. Meanwhile, the Lenape formed a close relationship with William Penn . However, upon Penn's death, his sons managed to take over much of their lands and banish them to Ohio. When

5100-414: The Iroquois. In the 1700s, Iroquoian peoples would take in the remaining Susquehannock of Pennsylvania after they were decimated in the French and Indian War . Most of these other groups assimilated and eventually ceased to exist as separate tribes. Then, after the American Revolution , a large group of Seneca split off and returned to Ohio, becoming known as the Mingo Seneca. The current Six Nations of

5202-506: The King of France's sister . Verrazzano described it as "a vast coastline with a deep delta in which every kind of ship could pass" and he adds: "that it extends inland for a league and opens up to form a beautiful lake. This vast sheet of water swarmed with native boats." He landed on the tip of Manhattan and possibly on the furthest point of Long Island. Verrazzano's stay was interrupted by a storm which pushed him north towards Martha's Vineyard . In 1540, French traders from New France built

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5304-423: The Lenape. In 1524, Giovanni da Verrazzano , an Italian explorer in the service of the French crown , explored the Atlantic coast of North America between the Carolinas and Newfoundland , including New York Harbor and Narragansett Bay . On April 17, 1524, Verrazzano entered New York Bay , by way of the strait now called the Narrows into the northern bay which he named Santa Margherita, in honor of

5406-401: The Twin Towers of the original World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan , and the towers collapsed . 7 World Trade Center also collapsed due to damage from fires. The other buildings of the World Trade Center complex were damaged beyond repair and demolished soon thereafter. The collapse of the Twin Towers caused extensive damage and resulted in the deaths of 2,753 victims, including 147 aboard

5508-432: The U.S. drafted the Indian Removal Act , the Lenape were further moved to Missouri, whereas their cousins, the Mohicans, were sent to Wisconsin. Also, in 1778, the United States relocated the Nanticoke from the Delmarva Peninsula to the former Iroquois lands south of Lake Ontario, though they did not stay long. Mostly, they chose to migrate into Canada and merge with the Iroquois, although some moved west and merged with

5610-418: The United States . In the United States, the federal government did not assume direct jurisdiction for immigration until 1890. Prior to this time, the matter was delegated to the individual states, then via contract between the states and the federal government. Most immigrants to New York would disembark at the bustling docks along the Hudson and East Rivers , in the eventual Lower Manhattan . On May 4, 1847,

5712-408: The United States can trace their ancestry to these immigrants. Ellis Island was the subject of a contentious and long-running border and jurisdictional dispute between the State of New York and the State of New Jersey, as both claimed it. The issue was officially settled in 1998 by the U.S. Supreme Court which ruled that the original 3.3-acre (1.3 ha) island was New York state territory and that

5814-415: The United States. The area of present-day New York had been inhabited by tribes of the Algonquians and the Iroquois Confederacy Native Americans for several thousand years by the time the earliest Europeans arrived. Stemming from Henry Hudson 's expedition in 1609, the Dutch established the multiethnic colony of New Netherland in 1621. England seized the colony from the Dutch in 1664, renaming it

5916-421: The agencies that implement them. In accordance of Rule XXV of the United States Senate, all proposed legislation, messages, petitions, memorials, and other matters relating to the following subjects are referred to the Senate Committee on Finance: Given its broad remit with regards to taxation , mandatory spending , international trade , Social Security , Temporary Assistance to Needy Families , interest on

6018-435: The balance of the 27.5 acres (11 ha) added after 1834 by landfill was in New Jersey. In May 1964, Ellis Island was added to the National Park Service by President Lyndon B. Johnson and is still owned by the federal government as part of the Statue of Liberty National Monument . In 1990, Ellis Island was opened to the public as a museum of immigration. On September 11, 2001, two of four hijacked planes were flown into

6120-403: The canal carrying passengers and freight. Farm products came in from the Midwest , and finished manufactured goods moved west. It was an engineering marvel which opened up vast areas of New York to commerce and settlement. It enabled Great Lakes port cities such as Buffalo and Rochester to grow and prosper. It also connected the burgeoning agricultural production of the Midwest and shipping on

6222-433: The city on October 19 of that year, composed of representatives from across the Thirteen Colonies who set the stage for the Continental Congress to follow. The Stamp Act Congress resulted in the Declaration of Rights and Grievances , which was the first written expression by representatives of the Americans of many of the rights and complaints later expressed in the United States Declaration of Independence . This included

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6324-578: The coast in search of profitable fur trading with local Native American tribes. During the 17th century, Dutch trading posts established for the trade of pelts from the Lenape, Iroquois, and other tribes were founded in the colony of New Netherland . The first of these trading posts were Fort Nassau (1614, near present-day Albany ); Fort Orange (1624, on the Hudson River just south of the current city of Albany and created to replace Fort Nassau), developing into settlement Beverwijck (1647), and into what became Albany; Fort Amsterdam (1625, to develop into

6426-428: The committee continued to play a prominent role in the major issues of the nation. The committee was at the center of the debate over the silver question in the latter half of the 19th Century. Passage of the Bland–Allison Act and the Sherman Silver Purchase Act were attempts to remedy the demand for silver, though the silver cause would eventually fail by the end of the century. The committee also continued to play

6528-487: The costly project. Before the September 11 attacks , Lower Manhattan was the third largest central business district in the United States . As of 2007, it was the fourth largest, behind Midtown Manhattan , Chicago , and Washington, D.C. Many commuters take the LIRR to Atlantic Terminal and transfer to a Manhattan-bound subway or take the LIRR to Penn Station and transfer to a subway heading downtown to reach their jobs in Lower Manhattan, both of which options consume

6630-475: The dire economic times. The effort backfired and the economic situation worsened. The Smoot-Hawley Tariff would eventually be replaced by the Reciprocal Tariff Act of 1934 which authorized the President to negotiate trade agreements. This act not only set up the trade policy system as it exists today but also effectively transferred trade making policy from the Congress to the President. The committee also played an important role in two major acts created under

6732-427: The discussion of constructing seawalls and other coastal barriers around the shorelines of New York City and Long Island to minimize the risk from another such future event. Such risk is considered highly probable due to global warming and rising sea levels . On March 1, 2020, New York had its first confirmed case of COVID-19 after Washington (state) , two months prior. From May 19–20, Western New York and

6834-425: The downstate region's lower elevation, proximity to the Atlantic Ocean, and relatively lower latitude . Upstate New York experiences warm summers, marred by only occasional, brief intervals of sultry conditions, with long and cold winters. Western New York, particularly the Tug Hill region, receives heavy lake-effect snows , especially during the earlier portions of winter, before the surface of Lake Ontario itself

6936-402: The duration of the conflict, and consequently the focus of General George Washington 's intelligence network . On the notorious British prison ships of Wallabout Bay , more American combatants died than were killed in combat in every battle of the war combined. Both sides of combatants lost more soldiers to disease than to outright wounds. The first of two major British armies were captured by

7038-413: The eastern part of the state, without draining Lakes George or Champlain . Lake George empties at its north end into Lake Champlain, whose northern end extends into Canada, where it drains into the Richelieu River and then ultimately the Saint Lawrence River . The western section of the state is drained by the Allegheny River and rivers of the Susquehanna and Delaware River systems. Niagara Falls

7140-436: The elderly and the unemployed, leading to enhanced economic welfare for many elderly Americans. In 1981, a Senate Resolution required the printing of the History of the Committee on Finance. The role of the Senate Committee on Finance is very similar to that of the House Committee on Ways and Means . The one exception in terms of authority is that the Finance Committee has jurisdiction over both Medicare and Medicaid, while

7242-441: The federal government assumed control over immigration. During that period, more than eight million immigrants passed through its doors (two of every three U.S. immigrants). When the federal government assumed control, it established the Bureau of Immigration , which chose the three-acre (1.2 ha) Ellis Island in Upper New York Harbor for an entry depot. Already federally controlled, the island had served as an ammunition depot. It

7344-441: The highest count of any U.S. state in 2022. Many of its landmarks are well known, including four of the world's ten most-visited tourist attractions in 2013: Times Square , Central Park , Niagara Falls , and Grand Central Terminal . New York is home to approximately 200 colleges and universities , including Ivy League members Columbia University and Cornell University , and the expansive State University of New York , which

7446-554: The late 20th century boom in the construction of offices and apartments, in hopes of providing future sustainability and abating automotive traffic. In 1999, the Regional Plan Association considered a full-length Second Avenue Subway from Broad Street to 125th Street , along with the LIRR East Side Access , the extension of subway services along commuter rail lines in Brooklyn, Queens, and

7548-594: The late 20th century by the federally recognized tribes. New York put up more than 5 million acres (20,000 km ) of former Iroquois territory for sale in the years after the Revolutionary War, leading to rapid development in Upstate New York. As per the Treaty of Paris , the last vestige of British authority in the former Thirteen Colonies —their troops in New York City—departed in 1783, which

7650-460: The lives of the nation's veterans. The committee helped consolidate the veteran bureaucracy by streamlining the various responsibilities into a Veterans' Bureau, which would ultimately become the Veterans' Administration. In 1924, the committee passed a "Bonus Bill" that compensated World War I veterans for their service. This series of improved veteran benefits reached a crescendo in 1944 with

7752-640: The most heated topics of the era, including numerous tariff issues and the Bank War . The committee was also influential in the creation of the Department of Interior in 1849. Under the Chairmanship of William Pitt Fessenden , the committee played a decisive role during the Civil War . Appropriating all funds for the war effort as well as raising enough funds to finance the war through tariffs and

7854-693: The nation's first income tax. Additionally, the committee produced the Legal Tender Act of 1862, the nation's first reliance on paper currency. In 1865 the House of Representatives created an Appropriations Committee to relieve the burden from the Committee on Ways and Means . The Senate followed this example by forming the Senate Appropriations Committee in 1867. Despite the loss of one of its signature duties,

7956-474: The new rail link on an average weekday. In June 2004, Governor Pataki proposed using unused federal funds aimed at rebuilding Lower Manhattan for the rail link, of which $ 2 billion was approved by the Bush administration the following month. The Senate Finance Committee eventually approved the use of the funds in 2007, but Pataki struggled to secure additional funding for the rail link before he left office, as it

8058-478: The newly created Committee on Banking and Currency . The committee did gain jurisdiction over veterans’ benefits when it successfully passed the War Risk Insurance Act of 1917. The act shifted pensions from gratuities to benefits and served as one of the first life insurance programs created under the federal government. The Finance Committee continued to play an increasingly important role in

8160-411: The next century, earning it the nickname of the " Empire State ". Although deindustrialization eroded a portion of the state's economy in the second half of the 20th century, New York in the 21st century continues to be considered as a global node of creativity and entrepreneurship , social tolerance , and environmental sustainability . The state attracts visitors from all over the globe, with

8262-754: The passage of the Servicemen's Readjustment Act . Senator Bennett "Champ" Clark , who served as the Chairman of the Subcommittee on Veterans, assured smooth sailing of the bill through the Senate. The bill not only ended the usual demands from returning veterans that had been seen in nearly every war the US had participated in, but also provided more generous benefits than veterans had previously received, including funds for continuing education, loans and unemployment insurance. Not all Finance Committee legislation

8364-619: The people for ratification. On July 30, 1777, George Clinton was inaugurated as the first Governor of New York at Kingston. Approximately a third of the battles of the American Revolutionary War took place in New York; the first major one and largest of the entire war was the Battle of Long Island , also known as the Battle of Brooklyn, in August 1776. After their victory, the British occupied present-day New York City, making it their military and political base of operations in North America for

8466-667: The provinces of Ontario and Quebec in Canada, with New York and Ontario sharing the Thousand Islands archipelago within the Saint Lawrence River, while most of its border with Quebec is on land; it shares Lake Champlain with the New England state of Vermont ; the New England state of Massachusetts has mostly a land border; New York extends into Long Island Sound and the Atlantic Ocean , sharing

8568-400: The region. Maritime or shore birds of New York are great blue heron , killdeers , northern cardinals , American herring gulls , and common terns . Reptile and amphibian species in land areas of New York include queen snakes , hellbenders , diamondback terrapins , timber rattlesnakes , eastern fence lizards , spotted turtles , and Blanding's turtles . Sea turtles that can be found in

8670-657: The rest of the State of New York. The placement of a boundary between the two is a matter of great contention. Unofficial and loosely defined regions of Upstate New York include from the Southern Tier, which includes many of the counties along the border with Pennsylvania, to the North Country region, above or sometimes including parts of the Adirondack region. Among the total area of New York state, 13.6% consists of water. Much of New York's boundaries are in water, as

8772-452: The right to representative government . At the same time, given strong commercial, personal and sentimental links to Britain , many New York residents were Loyalists . The Capture of Fort Ticonderoga provided the cannon and gunpowder necessary to force a British withdrawal from the siege of Boston in 1775. New York was the only colony not to vote for independence , as the delegates were not authorized to do so. New York then endorsed

8874-723: The site on March 21, 2014. Upon its completion in 2014, the new One World Trade Center became the tallest skyscraper in the Western Hemisphere, at 1,776 feet (541 m), meant to symbolize the year America gained its independence , 1776. From 2006 to 2018, 3 World Trade Center , 4 World Trade Center , 7   World Trade Center, the World Trade Center Transportation Hub , Liberty Park , and Fiterman Hall were completed. St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church and Ronald O. Perelman Performing Arts Center are under construction at

8976-463: The state are the green sea turtle , loggerhead sea turtle , leatherback sea turtle and Kemp's ridley sea turtle . New York Harbor and the Hudson River constitute an estuary , making the state of New York home to a rich array of marine life including shellfish—such as oysters and clams —as well as fish, microorganisms, and sea-birds. Due to its long history, New York has several overlapping and often conflicting definitions of regions within

9078-445: The state, known as Downstate , encompasses New York City , the United States's largest city; Long Island , the nation's most populous island; and the suburbs and wealthy enclaves of the lower Hudson Valley . These areas are the center of the expansive New York metropolitan area and account for approximately two-thirds of the state's population. The larger Upstate area spreads from the Great Lakes to Lake Champlain and includes

9180-471: The state. The regions are also not fully definable due to the colloquial use of regional labels. The New York State Department of Economic Development provides two distinct definitions of these regions. It divides the state into ten economic regions, which approximately correspond to terminology used by residents: United States Senate Committee on Finance The United States Senate Committee on Finance (or, less formally, Senate Finance Committee )

9282-490: The town New Amsterdam , which is present-day New York City); and Esopus (1653, now Kingston ). The success of the patroonship of Rensselaerswyck (1630), which surrounded Albany and lasted until the mid-19th century, was also a key factor in the early success of the colony. The English captured the colony during the Second Anglo-Dutch War and governed it as the Province of New York . The city of New York

9384-477: The two planes. Since September   11, most of Lower Manhattan has been restored. In the years since, over 7,000 rescue workers and residents of the area have developed several life-threatening illnesses, and some have died. A memorial at the site, the National September ;11 Memorial & Museum , was opened to the public on September   11, 2011. A permanent museum later opened at

9486-426: The vast majority of the state's geographic area is dominated by meadows , forests , rivers, farms, mountains, and lakes. Most of the southern part of the state rests on the Allegheny Plateau , which extends from the southeastern United States to the Catskill Mountains ; the section in the State of New York is known as the Southern Tier . The rugged Adirondack Mountains , with vast tracts of wilderness, lie west of

9588-582: Was a major ocean port and had extensive traffic importing cotton from the South and exporting manufacturing goods. Nearly half of the state's exports were related to cotton. Southern cotton factors, planters and bankers visited so often that they had favorite hotels. At the same time, activism for abolitionism was strong upstate, where some communities provided stops on the Underground Railroad . Upstate, and New York City, gave strong support for

9690-542: Was as well received as the G.I. Bill. At the beginning of the Great Depression the committee passed the Smoot–Hawley Tariff Act . The act greatly increased tariffs and had a negative effect on the nation's economy. Following traditional economic practices the members of the committee, including Chairman Reed Smoot , felt that protection of American businesses was required in order to buoy them during

9792-423: Was by expensive wagons on muddy roads before canals opened up the rich farmlands to long-distance traffic. Governor DeWitt Clinton promoted the Erie Canal , which connected New York City to the Great Lakes by the Hudson River , the new canal, and the rivers and lakes. Work commenced in 1817, and the Erie Canal opened eight years later, in 1825. Packet boats pulled by horses on tow paths traveled slowly over

9894-609: Was chosen due its relative isolation with proximity to New York City and the rail lines of Jersey City, New Jersey , via a short ferry ride. While the island was being developed and expanded via land reclamation , the federal government operated a temporary depot at the Barge Office at the Battery. Ellis Island opened on January 1, 1892, and operated as a central immigration center until the National Origins Act

9996-780: Was competing against other projects such as the Mass Transit Tunnel for funding from the Port Authority and the Second Avenue Subway for funding from the MTA. Governors Eliot Spitzer and David Paterson did not make the project a priority, and approval of the $ 2 billion earmarked for the project has been blocked in the U.S. Senate . Meanwhile, the projected total cost for the project has risen from $ 6 billion to between $ 8.6 and $ 9.9 billion. New York (state) New York , also called New York State ,

10098-660: Was divided roughly in half between the Algonquian Wampanoag and Lenape peoples. The Lenape also controlled most of the region surrounding New York Harbor . North of the Lenape was a third Algonquian nation, the Mohicans . Starting north of them, from east to west, were two Iroquoian nations: the Mohawk —part of the original Iroquois Five Nations, and the Petun . South of them, divided roughly along Appalachia , were

10200-566: Was long afterward celebrated as Evacuation Day . New York City was the national capital under the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union , the first national government. That organization was found to be inadequate, and prominent New Yorker Alexander Hamilton advocated for a new government that would include an executive, national courts, and the power to tax. Hamilton led the Annapolis Convention (1786) that called for

10302-536: Was passed in 1924, reducing immigration. After that date, the only immigrants to pass through were displaced persons or war refugees . The island ceased all immigration processing on November 12, 1954, when the last person detained on the island, Norwegian seaman Arne Peterssen, was released. He had overstayed his shore leave and left on the 10:15   a.m. Manhattan-bound ferry to return to his ship. More than 12 million immigrants passed through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954. More than 100 million Americans across

10404-659: Was recaptured by the Dutch in 1673 during the Third Anglo-Dutch War (1672–1674) and renamed New Orange. It was returned to the English under the terms of the Treaty of Westminster a year later. The Sons of Liberty were organized in New York City during the 1760s, largely in response to the oppressive Stamp Act passed by the British Parliament in 1765. The Stamp Act Congress met in

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