Hi Brooke, you couldn't have been assigned a more interesting history than
that of New York.  I am a history buff myself and currently live in Colorado
by way of New York.  If you have any specific questions you'd like answered,
I be glad to help.  Barring that, let me suggest you get your hands on a book
called "Gotham".  It is essentlially the history of New York City from
pre-Columbian times to 1898.  It is published by the Oxford press and written
by Edwin G. Burrows and Mike Wallace and released in 1999.  It is arguably
the best written and most comprehensive study ever undertaken on the subject.
Happy reading,
Ron