Analyze One Of The States Of The United States: New York (Essay Sample)

New York
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New York
Introduction
The United States of America, as it is known today, is a constellation of 50 States that came together to form one of the strongest unions in the world. Each of these states contributes a particular story to the fabric that is the federal entity known as the United States. This paper explores the story of New York, a well known state found in the North Eastern part of the country. In order to provide an account that is as comprehensive as possible, this story will be divided into multiple sections that cover the facets of life in New York; from politics and history to people, culture, education, sports and lifestyle just to mention a few.
History
The history of New York is founded on the expeditionary adventurism that obtained in parts of the world during the 17th century. During this time, what is now known as New York was an area occupied by Native American Indians. It can therefore be argued that contact with Europeans is what accelerated this area’s development into ‘Empire State,’ as the state of New York is nicknamed today. Giovanni da Verrazano, an Italian explorer, is recorded to have discovered the New York Harbor in 1524 (Lambert). It is also asserted by Lambert (n.d) that Englishman Henry Hudson sailed along the Hudson River, which was named after him (Lambert).
The proper history of New York in terms of development of settlement and improved economic activity can be traced to the Dutch, who occupied the area along the Hudson River in 1624 (History.com Staff, 2009). After settling in this area for about two years, the Dutch established a colony which was referred to as New Amsterdam on what is currently known as Manhattan Island. This colony flourished owing to the vibrancy of its economy, as underscored by rapid development and improved standards of living. However, it later on fell to the English in 1664 in the wake of the latter’s colonial advancement (Infoplease). Due to this take over, the colony was renamed as New York in honor of the Duke of York (History.com Staff, 2009).
It should be noted that New York became part of the original 13 colonies with the advancement of the British. Further, it has been asserted that New York played a critical strategic role during the American Revolution (History.com Staff, 2009). Given its liberty credentials, it is little wonder that New York saw one of the most seminal moments in Americans history, the immigration of vast numbers of individuals from across Europe who crossed over into the United States through Ellis Island between 1892 and 1954 (History.com Staff, 2009).
State Identity
Across the United States, different jurisdictions use specific symbols to serve as unique identifiers. These symbols include state flags, state seals, state flowers, bird and songs among several others. It is important to highlight the fact that these symbols serve to depict aspects that unite the people of these jurisdictions. In addition, they are a reflection of the spirit, culture and enterprise of the people who live in a jurisdiction. Accordingly, the state of New York employs some of these symbols to mark its place in the union.
The Flag of New York State is as shown below. The lady on the left carries a torch symbolizing liberty while the one on the right carries a scale that represents justice. The middle image shows vessels sailing towards a new dawn as captured by the rising sun. At the bottom, there is a banner that reads ‘Excelsior.’ This translates to ‘Ever Upwards,’ the motto of New York State. This flag basically captures the ideals for which the state stands while underscoring its aspirations for the future.


Figure  SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 1: New York Flag
(State Symbols USA)
As can be observed in the image below, the official seal of the state of New York also contains the images observed in the flag. This seal is used to denote official communication of the state government of New York.


Figure  SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 2: New York Seal
(State Symbols USA)
The following images contain other state symbols that portray various aspects of life in the state of New York.


Figure  SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 3: State Flower (Rose)
(State Symbols USA)


Figure  SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 4: State Bird (Eastern Blue Bird)
(State Symbols USA)


Figure  SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 5: State Tree (Sugar Maple Tree)
(State Symbols USA)


Figure  SEQ Figure \* ARABIC 6: State Capital (Albany)
(State Symbols USA)
In addition to the above symbols, the state of New York has a state song entitled ‘I love New York.’ In addition, the state has milk as its official beverage and the Beaver as its state animal. Other symbols include the Apple (state fruit) and ‘I Love New York’ as the state slogan (State Symbols USA).
Economy
The vibrancy of New York’s economy cannot be gainsaid. With interests spanning across mining, agriculture, manufacturing and services, New York’s economy was recently ranked 9th best overall amongst all the states of the US (Kiersz, 2015). Certain indicators serve to reaffirm this position. For example, as asserted by Kiersz (2015), the state of New York has the second best weekly average wage which stands at $1,3321 (Kiersz, 2015). In addition, at $71,128, New York’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is the fifth highest in the country (Kiersz, 2015).
New York has largely invested in agriculture, culminating in its being one of the leading producer of dairy products in the US. It should also be noted that livestock products play a significant role in the state’s agricultural output. It is estimated that the 2/3 of the state’s agricultural income is derived from livestock products (Netstate, 2016). Other major agricultural outputs include vegetables and fruits, with New York being one of the leading producers of Apples in the whole country.
In terms of manufacturing, New York’s firms have diversified in industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to machinery and computer parts. Of these industries, the pharmaceutical industry is the most dominant, followed by machinery and instruments manufacture and finally the computer parts manufacture (Netstate, 2016). This subsector of the economy is complemented by the mining industry. New York mines stones, salt, sand and gravel (Netstate, 2016). It also ranks highly in the extraction of Zinc and Garnets.
The service sector is the most known aspect of the state’s economy. In particular, the financial services sector has been significantly noticeable. As a matter of fact, New York city has developed over the years to become the financial capital of the United States (Kiersz, 2015). This has been made possible by the existence of a variety of banks, financial advisory firms and the world famous New York Stock Exchange. Other service industries include key law firms, entertainment firms and major advertising agencies
Politics
New York’s state government is led by Governor Andrew Cuomo (Democrat), who is deputized by Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul (Democrat). Eric Schneiderman (Democrat) serves as the state’s Attorney General while Thomas DiNapoli is the state’s Comptroller (Democrat).It should be noted that Governor Cuomo is one of the most popular governors not only in New York, but also in the entire country. A 2012 poll revealed that he had an approval rating of 73%, with high approval generally being seen across the political divide from Democrats, Republicans to Independents (Blake, 2012). However, the most interesting governor of New York is David Paterson. He was the first African-American to hold the post of Secretary of State in the New York government. He went on to serve as the state’s first legally blind governor (Biography.com Editors).
Two of the major political issues in New York have been balancing the budget and same sex marriages. Balancing the budget has been a painful process for many governors who have been made to make many difficult decisions. It should be noted that some of these decisions have been politically disastrous, leading to their ouster. In terms of same sex marriages, several efforts were made by activists to legalize these marriages to no avail. However, these efforts culminated in the legalization of same sex marriages in June 2011 by Governor Cuomo (Conffesore & Barbaro, 2011).
Education
All basic education in the state of New York is overseen by the University of the State of New York. It is important to note that the public schools in New York City are managed by the New York City Department of Education. Public tertiary education is provided through the State University of New York system which is made up of several institutions. These institutions include universities, technical colleges and community colleges. It should be noted that public provision of tertiary education is further complemented by a private system that consists of notable institutions such as Cornell University and Columbia University.
Sports
The state of New York has one of the most active sports profile in the country. In particular, Baseball and American Football are the most significant forms of sport enjoyed in the state. One of the most popular foo...