new york city started as a trading post created by colonists from the dutch republic in 1624 on lower manhattan; the post was named new amsterdam in 1626. in 1664, the english controlled the city and the areas around it, and were renamed "new york" after king charles ii of england gave the lands to his brother, the duke of york. new york was the capital of the united states from 1785 until 1790, and has been the biggest u.s. city since 1790. the statue of liberty welcomed millions of immigrants as they came to the u.s. by ship in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and it is a symbol of the u.s. and its ideals of liberty and peace. in the 21st century, new york has grew into a global hub of creativity and entrepreneurship and environmental sustainability, and as a symbol of freedom and cultural diversity. in 2019, new york was voted the best city in the world in a survey of over 30,000 people from 48 cities worldwide, because of its cultural diversity.