Editing Staten Island (section)

==History==
{{For timeline}}

===Indigenous Inhabitants / Native Americans===
As in much of North America, human habitation appeared on the island fairly rapidly after the [[Wisconsin glaciation]]. Archaeologists have recovered tool evidence of [[Clovis culture]] activity dating from about 14,000 years ago. This evidence was first discovered in 1917 in the Charleston section of the island. Various Clovis artifacts have been discovered since then, on property owned by [[Mobil|Mobil Oil]].

The island was probably abandoned later, possibly because of the [[local extinction|extirpation]] of large mammals on the island. Evidence of the first permanent [[Indigenous peoples of the Americas|Native American]] settlements and agriculture are thought to date from about 5,000 years ago,<ref name="Jackson, 1995">Jackson, 1995</ref> although [[Archaic period (North America)|early archaic]] habitation evidence has been found in multiple locations on the island.<ref>Ritchie, 1963</ref>

[[Rossville points]] are distinct arrowheads that define a Native American cultural period from the [[Archaic period (North America)|Archaic period]] to the Early [[Woodland period]], dating from about 1500 to 100&nbsp;BC. They are named for the [[Rossville, Staten Island|Rossville]] section of Staten Island, where they were first found near the old Rossville Post Office building.<ref>''Anthropological Papers of the American Museum of Natural History'', Volumes 3–4 By American Museum of Natural History</ref>

[[File:Burial Ridge Skeletons.jpg|thumb|right|Skeletons unearthed at [[Burial Ridge|Lenape burial ground]] in Staten Island, the largest pre-European burial ground in New York City]]
At the time of European contact, the island was inhabited by the [[Raritan people|Raritan band]] of the [[Unami language|Unami]] division of the [[Lenape]]. In [[Delaware languages|Lenape]], one of the [[Algonquian languages]], Staten Island was called {{lang|del|Aquehonga Manacknong}}, meaning "as far as the place of the bad woods", or {{lang|del|Eghquhous}}, meaning "the bad woods".<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IswpAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1 |title=History of Richmond County (Staten Island), New York |last1=Bayles |first1=Richard Mather |year=1887 }}</ref>
The name is spelled as {{lang|del|Eghquaons}} in the deed to Lubbertus van Dincklage for the purchase of Staten Island, 1657.<ref name="deed"/> The area was part of the Lenape homeland known as [[Lenapehoking]]. The Lenape were later called the "Delaware" by the English colonists because they inhabited both shores of what the English named the [[Delaware River]].

The island was laced with Native American foot trails, one of which followed the south side of the ridge near the course of present-day Richmond Road and [[Amboy Road]]. The Lenape did not live in fixed encampments but moved seasonally, using [[Slash-and-burn|slash and burn]] agriculture. [[Shellfish]] was a staple of their diet, including the Eastern oyster (''[[Eastern oyster|Crassostrea virginica]]'') abundant in the waterways throughout the present-day New York City region. Evidence of their habitation can still be seen in shell [[midden]]s along the shore in the Tottenville section, where oyster shells larger than {{convert|12|in|mm}} are sometimes found.

[[Ward's Point|Burial Ridge]], a Lenape burial ground on a bluff overlooking [[Raritan Bay]] in [[Tottenville, Staten Island|Tottenville]], is the largest pre-European burial ground in New York City.{{Citation needed|date=December 2022|reason=Exceptional claims require exceptional sources.}} Bodies have been reported unearthed at Burial Ridge from 1858 onward. After conducting independent research, which included unearthing bodies interred at the site, ethnologist and archaeologist [[George H. Pepper]] was contracted in 1895 to conduct paid archaeological research at Burial Ridge by the [[American Museum of Natural History]]. The burial ground today is unmarked and lies within [[Conference House Park]].

===European settlement===
The first recorded European contact on the island was in 1524 by Italian explorer [[Giovanni da Verrazzano]] who sailed through [[The Narrows]] on the ship ''[[La Dauphine]]'' and anchored for one night.

The Dutch did not establish a permanent settlement on {{lang|nl|Staaten Eylandt}} for many decades. Its name derived from the [[States General of the Netherlands|Staten Generaal]], the parliament of the [[Dutch Republic|Republic of the Seven United Netherlands]]. From 1639 to 1655, [[Cornelis Melyn]] and [[David Pietersz. de Vries|David de Vries]] made three separate attempts to establish a settlement there, but each time the settlement was destroyed in conflicts between the Dutch and the local tribe.<ref name=island>[[Russell Shorto]], ''The Island at the Center of the World: The Epic Story of Dutch Manhattan and the Forgotten Colony that Shaped America.'' First Edition. New York City: Vintage Books (a Division of Random House, 2004), {{ISBN|1-4000-7867-9 }}</ref> In 1661, the first permanent Dutch settlement was established at {{lang|nl|Oude Dorp}} (Dutch for "Old Village") by a small group of Dutch, [[Walloons|Walloon]], and French [[Huguenots|Huguenot]] families,<ref name="ellis-p55">{{cite book |title=The Epic of New York City |author=Ellis, Edward Robb |publisher=Old Town Books |year=1966 |page=55 }}</ref> just south of the Narrows near South Beach. Many French Huguenots had gone to the Netherlands as refugees from the religious wars in France, suffering persecution for their Protestant faith, and some joined the emigration to New Netherland.

At one point nearly a third of the residents of the Island spoke French.<ref>[http://blog.silive.com/memories_column/2014/07/staten_island_might_well_have_been_called_huguenot_island.html Memories: Staten Island might well have been called Huguenot Island] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180212085020/http://blog.silive.com/memories_column/2014/07/staten_island_might_well_have_been_called_huguenot_island.html |date=February 12, 2018 }}. Retrieved February 11, 2018.</ref> The last vestige of Oude Dorp is the name of the present-day neighborhood of [[Old Town, Staten Island|Old Town]] adjacent to Old Town Road.<ref>Scheltema, Gajus and Westerhuijs, Heleen (eds.), ''Exploring Historic Dutch New York''. Museum of the City of New York/Dover Publications, New York (2011) {{ISBN|978-0-486-48637-6 }}</ref> Staten Island was not spared the bloodshed which culminated in [[Kieft's War]]. In the summer of 1641 and in 1642, Native American tribes destroyed Old Town.<ref>Morris pgs.188-189</ref>

On July 10, 1657, the Native Americans signed a deed to Lubbertus van Dincklage, attorney of Henrick van der Capelle tho Ryssel, for the purchase of all indigenous lands on Staten Island.<ref name="deed">{{cite web |url=https://www.nysarchivestrust.org/education/consider-source/browse-primary-source-documents/indigenous-history/indian-deed-staten-island-july-10-1657 |date=February 24, 2021 |title=Deed for the purchase of indigenous lands on Staten Island, July 10 1657 |website=New York State Archives Partnership Trust |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210224210126/https://www.nysarchivestrust.org/education/consider-source/browse-primary-source-documents/indigenous-history/indian-deed-staten-island-july-10-1657 |archive-date=February 24, 2021 }}</ref> However, this deed was annulled when the Dutch purchasers failed to deliver the promised goods for the land a few months later.<ref>{{cite web |title=Buying and Selling Staten Island |author=Andrew Lipman |date=August 7, 2020 |website=Common Place |url=https://commonplace.online/article/buying-and-selling-staten-island/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230605070025/https://commonplace.online/article/buying-and-selling-staten-island/ |archive-date=June 5, 2023 }}</ref>

[[File:Vorleezer-house.jpg|thumb|right|[[Voorlezer's House]]]]
[[File:Perine-house.JPG|thumb|right|[[Billiou–Stillwell–Perine House]]]]

===Richmond County===
At the end of the [[Second Anglo-Dutch War]] in 1667, the Dutch ceded New Netherland to England in the [[Treaty of Breda (1667)|Treaty of Breda]], and the Dutch {{lang|nl|Staaten Eylandt}}, [[anglicisation|anglicized]] as "Staten Island", became part of the new English [[province of New York|colony of New York]].

In 1670, the Native Americans ceded all claims to Staten Island to the English in a deed to Governor [[Francis Lovelace]]. In 1671, in order to encourage an expansion of the Dutch settlements, the English resurveyed {{lang|nl|Oude Dorp}} (which became known as 'Old Town') and expanded the lots along the shore to the south. These lots were settled primarily by Dutch families and became known as {{lang|nl|Nieuwe Dorp}} (meaning 'New Village'), which later became anglicized as [[New Dorp, Staten Island|New Dorp]].

Captain [[Christopher Billopp (Royal Navy officer)|Christopher Billopp]], after years of distinguished service in the Royal Navy, came to America in 1674 along with the newly appointed royal governor of New York and the Jerseys Sir Edmund Andros, in charge of a company of infantry.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://conferencehouse.org/about/history/ |title=The Conference House Museum's role in shaping of American History |date=March 27, 2018 }}</ref> The following year, he settled on Staten Island, where he was granted a patent for {{convert|932|acre|km2|1}} of land. According to one version of an oft-repeated but false tale,<ref name=":0" /> Captain Billopp's seamanship secured Staten Island to New York, rather than to New Jersey: the island would belong to New York if the captain could circumnavigate it in one day, which he did. This story is most likely untrue, due to conflicting information on the time Christopher Billopp took to complete the race and whether he received a personal prize or not. Mayor [[Michael Bloomberg]] perpetuated the myth by referring to it at a news conference in Brooklyn on February 20, 2007.<ref name=":0">{{Cite news |last=Chan |first=Sewell |title=That Old Tale About S.I.? Hold On Now |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |date=February 21, 2007 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/nyregion/21mayor.html |archive-date=February 11, 2017 |access-date=February 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170211201158/http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/21/nyregion/21mayor.html |url-status=live }}</ref> Reliable historical documentation of the event is extremely sparse, however, and most historians conclude that it is entirely false. In 2007, ''[[The New York Times]]'' addressed the issue in a news article, which concluded that this event was heavily embellished over the years and almost certainly originated in local folklore.<ref name=":0" /> [[YouTuber]] [[CGP Grey]] addressed the story of the Staten Island race and its historical discrepancies in a 2019 video,<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Race to Win Staten Island |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ex74x_gqTU0 |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211211/Ex74x_gqTU0 |archive-date=December 11, 2021 |url-status=live |last=CGP Grey |date=September 12, 2019 |website=YouTube}}{{cbignore }}</ref> in which he concluded that Gabriel Disosway, a local chronicler in Staten Island, was responsible for originating the false legend in the mid-1800s.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Stein |first1=Mark |title=A boat race determined Staten Island's fate, legend says. But is it true? CGP Grey seeks answers. |url=https://www.silive.com/news/2019/09/a-boat-race-determined-staten-islands-fate-legend-says-but-is-it-true-cgp-grey-seeks-answers.html |access-date=September 14, 2019 |work=silive.com |publisher=[[Staten Island Advance]] |date=September 13, 2019 |archive-date=September 18, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190918034554/https://www.silive.com/news/2019/09/a-boat-race-determined-staten-islands-fate-legend-says-but-is-it-true-cgp-grey-seeks-answers.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 1683, the colony of New York was divided into ten counties. As part of this process, Staten Island, as well as several minor neighboring islands, was designated as ''Richmond County''. The name derives from the title of [[Charles Lennox, 1st Duke of Richmond]], an illegitimate son of King [[Charles II of England|Charles II]]. In 1687 and 1688, the English divided the island into four administrative divisions based on natural features: the {{convert|5100|acre|km2|adj=on}} manorial estate of colonial governor [[Thomas Dongan, 2nd Earl of Limerick|Thomas Dongan]] in the northeastern hills known as the "Lordship or Manor of Cassiltown", along with the North, South, and West divisions. These divisions later evolved into the four towns of [[Castleton, Staten Island|Castleton]], [[Northfield, Staten Island|Northfield]], [[Southfield, Staten Island|Southfield]], and [[Westfield, Staten Island|Westfield]]. In 1698, the population was 727.<ref name="Rosenwaike">{{cite book |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/populationhistor00irar/page/12 |author1=Evarts Boutell Greene |author2=Virginia Draper Harrington |chapter=American Population Before the Federal Census of 1790 |location=Syracuse, New York |year=1932 |publisher=Syracuse University Press |page=12 |isbn=0-8156-2155-8 |title=Population History of New York City |editor-last=Rosenwaike |editor-first=Ira }}</ref>

The government granted land patents in rectangular blocks of {{convert|80|acre|m2}}, with the most desirable lands along the coastline and inland waterways. By 1708, the entire island had been divided up in this fashion, creating 166 small farms and two large manorial estates, the Dongan estate and a {{cvt|1600|acre|km2}} parcel on the southwestern tip of the island belonging to Christopher Billopp.<ref name="Jackson, 1995" /> The first county seat was established in New Dorp in what was called Stony Brook at the time.<ref>Morris, Ira. Morris's Memorial History of Staten Island, New York, Volume 1. 1898, page 40</ref> In 1729, the county seat was moved to the village of Richmond Town, located at the headwaters of the [[Fresh Kills]] near the center of the island. By 1771, the island's population had grown to 2,847.<ref name="Rosenwaike" />

===18th century and the American Revolution===
[[File:WilliamHowe1777ColorMezzotint.jpeg|thumb|right|upright|[[William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe|Sir William Howe]] established his headquarters at the Rose and Crown Tavern at New Dorp Lane and Richmond Road prior to the invasions of Long Island and Manhattan.]]

Staten Islanders were solidly supportive of the Crown, and the island played a significant role in the [[American Revolutionary War]]. General [[George Washington]] once called Islanders "our most inveterate enemies".<ref>Lundigran, Margaret. Staten Island:Isle of the Bay, 2004 page 136.</ref>

As support of independence spread throughout the colonies, residents of the island were so uninterested that no representatives were sent to the [[First Continental Congress]], the only county in New York to not send anyone. This had economic repercussions in the months up through 1776, where New Jersey towns such as Elizabethport, [[Woodbridge Township, New Jersey|Woodbridge]], and [[Dover, New Jersey|Dover]] instituted boycotts on doing business with islanders.<ref>Papas, pgs 28-30</ref>

On March 17, 1776, the British forces under [[William Howe, 5th Viscount Howe|Sir William Howe]] evacuated [[Boston]] and sailed for [[Halifax, Nova Scotia]]. From Halifax, Howe prepared to attack New York City, which then consisted entirely of the southern end of [[Manhattan|Manhattan Island]]. General [[George Washington]] led the entire [[Continental Army]] to New York City in anticipation of the British attack. Howe used the strategic location of Staten Island as a staging ground for the invasion.

Over 140 British ships arrived over the summer of 1776 and anchored off the shores of Staten Island at the entrance to New York Harbor. The British soldiers and [[Hessian (soldier)|Hessian mercenaries]] numbered about 30,000. Howe established his headquarters in New Dorp at the [[Rose and Crown Tavern]], near the junction of present New Dorp Lane and Richmond Road. There the representatives of the British government reportedly received their first notification of the [[United States Declaration of Independence|Declaration of Independence]].

In August 1776, the British forces crossed the Narrows to Brooklyn and [[flanking maneuver|outflanked]] the American forces at the [[Battle of Long Island]], resulting in the British control of the harbor and the capture of New York City shortly afterwards. Three weeks later, on September 11, 1776, Sir William's brother, [[Richard Howe, 1st Earl Howe|Lord Howe]], received a delegation of Americans consisting of [[Benjamin Franklin]], [[Edward Rutledge]], and [[John Adams]] at the [[Conference House]] on the southwestern tip of the island on the former estate of Christopher Billopp. The Americans refused a peace offer from Howe in exchange for withdrawing the Declaration of Independence, and the conference ended without an agreement
[[File:Conference-house-staten-island.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Conference House]]]]

On August 22, 1777, the [[Battle of Staten Island]] occurred between the British forces and several companies of the [[2nd Canadian Regiment]] fighting alongside other American companies. The battle was inconclusive, though both sides surrendered over a hundred troops as prisoners. The Americans finally withdrew.

In early 1780, while the [[Kill Van Kull]] was frozen over, [[William Alexander, Lord Stirling|Lord Stirling]] led an unsuccessful Patriot raid from New Jersey on the western shore of Staten Island. It was repulsed in part by troops led by British Commander [[Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 1st Marquess of Hastings]]. In June 1780, [[Wilhelm von Knyphausen]], commander of Britain's [[Hessian (soldier)|Hessian auxiliaries]], led many raids and a full assault into New Jersey from Staten Island with the aim of defeating [[George Washington]] and the [[Continental Army]]. Although the raids were successful in the Newark and Elizabeth areas, the advance was halted at Connecticut Farms (Union) and the [[Battle of Springfield (1780)|Battle of Springfield]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Fleming |first=Thomas |author-link=Thomas Fleming (historian) |title=The Forgotten Victory: The Battle for New Jersey – 1780 |location=New York |publisher=Reader's Digest Press |year=1973 |isbn=0-88349-003-X |url=https://archive.org/details/forgottenvictory00flem }}</ref>

British forces remained on Staten Island for the remainder of the war. Most [[Patriot (American Revolution)|Patriots]] fled after the British occupation, and the sentiment of those who remained was predominantly [[Loyalist (American Revolution)|Loyalist]]. Even so, the islanders found the demands of supporting the troops to be heavy. The British army kept headquarters in neighborhoods such as [[Bulls Head, Staten Island|Bulls Head]]. Many buildings and churches were destroyed for their materials, and the military's demand for resources resulted in an extensive [[deforestation]] by the end of the war. The British army again used the island as a staging ground for its final evacuation of New York City on December 5, 1783. After their departure, many Loyalist landowners, such as [[Christopher Billop]], the family of Canadian historian [[Peter Fisher (historian)|Peter Fisher]], John Dunn, who founded [[St. Andrews, New Brunswick]], and [[Abraham Jones (New York politician)|Abraham Jones]], fled to Canada, and their estates were subdivided and sold.

Staten Island was occupied by the British longer than any single part of the Thirteen Colonies.<ref>[http://blog.silive.com/memories_column/2014/07/staten_island_a_loyalist_stronghold_during_revolutionary_war.html Staten Island a Loyalist stronghold during Revolutionary War] Retrieved December 1, 2018</ref>

===19th century===
[[File:RichmondtownStreet.jpg|thumb|right|The [[Historic Richmond Town]] museum complex is located in the [[Historic Richmond Town|heart of Staten Island]].]]
On July 4, 1827, the end of slavery in New York state was celebrated at Swan Hotel, in the West Brighton neighborhood. Rooms at the hotel were reserved months in advance as local abolitionists, including prominent free blacks, prepared for the festivities. Speeches, pageants, picnics, and fireworks marked the celebration, which lasted for two days.

In the early 19th century, New Jersey and New York disputed the location of their maritime boundary. The original charters were of no help because they were worded ambiguously. New York argued that the eastern edge of New Jersey was located at the [[Hudson River]]'s shoreline during high tide, which would give New York control of all the docks and wharves on the Hudson River. New Jersey argued that the maritime boundary should be down the middle of the Hudson River and then continue out to the Atlantic Ocean, which would give New Jersey control of the docks and wharves as well as Staten Island. [[Vice President of the United States|Vice President]] [[Martin Van Buren]] negotiated a compromise that established the maritime boundary in the middle of the Hudson River and gave Staten Island to New York. [[Ellis Island]] and [[Bedloe's Island]], both uninhabited at the time, also became controlled by New Jersey.<ref>Fruhlinger, Josh (April 6, 2018). "[https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/04/06/so-why-is-staten-island-a-part-of-new-york-anyway/ So Why Is Staten Island a Part of New York, Anyway?] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220928193416/https://www.villagevoice.com/2018/04/06/so-why-is-staten-island-a-part-of-new-york-anyway/ |date=September 28, 2022 }}". ''The Village Voice''.</ref>

From 1800 to 1858, Staten Island was the location of the largest quarantine facility in the United States. Angry residents burned down the hospital compound in 1858 in a series of attacks known as the [[Staten Island Quarantine War]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stephenson |first=Kathryn |date=January 1, 2004 |title=The Quarantine War: the Burning of the New York Marine Hospital in 1858 |journal=Public Health Reports |volume=119 |issue=1 |pages=79–92 |doi=10.1177/003335490411900114 |pmid=15147652 |pmc=1502261 }}</ref> In 1860, parts of Castleton and Southfield were made into a new town, [[Middletown, Staten Island|Middletown]]. The Village of New Brighton in the town of Castleton was incorporated in 1866, and in 1872 the Village of New Brighton annexed all the remainder of the Town of Castleton and became coterminous with the town.

An 1887 movement to incorporate Staten Island as a city ended up resulting in nothing.<ref>{{Cite news |date=February 3, 1887 |title=Staten Island to Be a City |language=en-US |work=The New York Times |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1887/02/03/archives/staten-island-to-be-a-city.html |access-date=September 28, 2021 |issn=0362-4331 |archive-date=September 28, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210928143411/https://www.nytimes.com/1887/02/03/archives/staten-island-to-be-a-city.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

===Consolidation with New York City===
[[File:NEW HOUSING ON STATEN ISLAND - NARA - 547837.jpg|thumb|right|New housing on Staten Island, 1973, photo by [[Arthur Tress]]]]
[[File:US Navy 070528-N-5758H-116.jpg|thumb|right|US Navy ships tied up at the home port pier during [[Fleet Week]] in 2007]]
The towns of Staten Island were dissolved in 1898 with the consolidation of the [[City of Greater New York]], as Richmond County became one of the [[Boroughs of New York City|five boroughs]] of the expanded city. Although consolidated into the City of Greater New York in 1898, the county sheriff of Staten Island maintained control of the jail system, unlike the other boroughs, which had gradually transferred control of the jails to the Department of Correction. The jail system was not transferred until January 1, 1942. Staten Island is the only borough without a New York City Department of Correction major detention center.

The construction of the [[Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge]], along with the other three major Staten Island bridges, created a new way for commuters and tourists to travel from New Jersey to Brooklyn, Manhattan, and areas farther east on [[Long Island]]. The network of highways running between the bridges has effectively carved up many of Staten Island's old neighborhoods. The bridge opened many areas of the borough to residential and commercial development from the 1960s onward, especially in the central and southern parts of the borough, which had been largely undeveloped. Staten Island's population doubled from 221,991 in 1960 to 443,728 in 2000.<ref>{{cite web |title=New York City Population by Borough, 1950 - 2040 |website=NYC Open Data |date=February 7, 2020 |url=https://data.cityofnewyork.us/City-Government/New-York-City-Population-by-Borough-1950-2040/xywu-7bv9 |access-date=November 27, 2020 |archive-date=November 28, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201128102538/https://data.cityofnewyork.us/City-Government/New-York-City-Population-by-Borough-1950-2040/xywu-7bv9 |url-status=live }}</ref> Nevertheless, Staten Island remained less developed than the rest of the city. A ''New York Times'' article in 1972 stated that despite the borough having 333,000 residents, parts of the island still maintained a bucolic atmosphere with woods and marshes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Staten Island: The City's Offshore Bucolic Niche |website=The New York Times |date=July 18, 1972 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1972/07/18/archives/staten-island-the-citys-offshore-bucolic-niche-staten-island-offers.html |access-date=September 21, 2019 }}</ref>

Throughout the 1980s, a movement to [[Partition and secession in New York#Staten Island secession from New York City|secede from the city]] steadily grew in popularity, notably championed by longtime New York state senator and former [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican Party]] mayoral nominee [[John J. Marchi]]. The campaign reached its peak during the mayoral term of [[David Dinkins]] (1990–1993), after the U.S. Supreme Court invalidated the [[New York City Board of Estimate]], which had given equal representation to the five boroughs. Dinkins and the city government opposed a non-binding secession referendum, contending that the vote should not be permitted by the state unless the city issued a [[home rule]] message supporting it, which the city would not. [[Governor (United States)|Governor]] [[Mario Cuomo]] disagreed, and the vote went forward in 1993. Ultimately, 65% of Staten island residents voted to secede through the approval of a new [[Municipal charter|city charter]] making Staten Island an independent [[Administrative divisions of New York (state)|city]], but implementation was blocked in the [[New York State Assembly|State Assembly]].<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/05/nyregion/home-rule-factor-may-block-si-secession.html |title='Home Rule' Factor May Block S.I. Secession |last=McFadden |first=Robert D. |date=March 5, 1994 |work=[[The New York Times]] |access-date=October 20, 2009 |archive-date=November 15, 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20121115012023/http://www.nytimes.com/1994/03/05/nyregion/home-rule-factor-may-block-si-secession.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://www.silive.com/news/2019/11/forgotten-borough-no-more-borelli-moves-forward-with-plan-to-revive-island-secession-from-new-york-city.html |title=Forgotten borough no more: Borelli moves forward with plan to revive Island secession from New York City |last=Kashiwagi |first=Sydney |date=November 8, 2019 |website=silive |language=en |access-date=November 11, 2019 |archive-date=November 11, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191111154243/https://www.silive.com/news/2019/11/forgotten-borough-no-more-borelli-moves-forward-with-plan-to-revive-island-secession-from-new-york-city.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

In the 1980s, the [[United States Navy]] had a base on Staten Island called [[Naval Station New York]]. It had two sections: a [[Strategic Homeport]] in [[Stapleton, Staten Island|Stapleton]] and a larger section near [[Fort Wadsworth]], where the Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge enters the island. The base was closed in 1994 through the [[Base Realignment and Closure]] process because of its small size and the expense of basing personnel there.
[[File:Staten island south beach.jpg|thumb|Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge from the South Beach on Staten Island]]
[[Fresh Kills]] and its tributaries are part of the largest tidal wetland ecosystem in the region. Its creeks and wetlands have been designated a Significant Coastal Fish and Wildlife Habitat by the [[New York State Department of Environmental Conservation]]. Opened along Fresh Kills as a "temporary landfill" in 1947, the [[Fresh Kills Landfill]] was a repository of trash for the city of New York. The landfill, once the world's largest man-made structure,<ref>
{{cite book |last=John |first=Lloyd |author-link=John Lloyd (writer) |author2=Mitchinson, John |author-link2=John Mitchinson (researcher) |title=QI: The Book of General Ignorance |publisher=Faber and Faber |date=October 5, 2006 |pages=114–115 |isbn=0-571-23368-6 |title-link=The Book of General Ignorance }}</ref> was closed in 2001,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/fkl/ada/about/1_2.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070603045619/http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/fkl/ada/about/1_2.html |title=Fresh Kills:Landfill to Landscape |archive-date=June 3, 2007 |via=archive.org }}</ref> but it was briefly reopened for the debris from [[World Trade Center site|Ground Zero]] following the [[September 11 attacks]] in 2001. It is being [[Freshkills Park|converted into a park]] almost three times the size of [[Central Park]] and the largest park to be developed in New York City in over 100 years.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Freshkills Park |url=https://freshkillspark.org/ |access-date=July 11, 2023 |website=Freshkills Park |language=en-US }}</ref> Plans for the park include a bird-nesting island, public roads, boardwalks, soccer and baseball fields, bridle paths, and a 5,000-seat stadium.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/fkl/fkl3.shtml |title=Fresh Kills |publisher=New York City Department of City Planning |year=2009 |access-date=October 20, 2009 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091124160916/http://www.nyc.gov/html/dcp/html/fkl/fkl3.shtml |archive-date=November 24, 2009 }}</ref> Today, freshwater and tidal wetlands, fields, birch thickets, and a coastal oak maritime forest, as well as areas dominated by non-native plant species, are all within the boundaries of Fresh Kills.
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{{wide image|Verbridge1.jpg|980px|alt=[[Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge]] connecting the eastern portion of the island to Brooklyn|[[Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge]] connecting the eastern portion of the island to [[Brooklyn]]}}