Editing New Rochelle, New York (section)

===17th and 18th centuries===
[[File:Jacob Leisler statue (New Rochelle, New York).jpg|thumb|left|[[Statue of Jacob Leisler]]]]
This area was occupied by cultures of indigenous peoples for thousands of years. They made use of the rich resources of Long Island Sound and inland areas.

By the 17th century, the historic [[Lenape]] bands, who spoke a language in the Algonquian family, were prominent in the area. Their territory extended from the coastal areas of western present-day Connecticut, Long Island and south through New Jersey, Maryland and Delaware.

In 1654, the [[Siwanoy]] Indians, a band of [[Lenape]] (also known as the Delaware by English colonists), sold land to English settler [[Thomas Pell]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Barr |first=Lockwood |url=http://archive.org/details/briefbutmostcomp0000lock |title=A brief, but most complete & true account of the settlement of the ancient town of Pelham, Westchester county, state of New York,: Known one time well ... the three modern villages called the Pelhams |date=1946 |publisher=Dietz Press |via=Internet Archive |page=24}}</ref> Some 33 families established the community of ''La Nouvelle-Rochelle'' ({{IPA|fr|la nuvɛl ʁɔʃɛl}}) in 1688. Many of them were artisans and craftsmen from [[La Rochelle, France]].

A monument containing the names of these settlers stands in Hudson Park, the original landing point of the Huguenots.<ref>''Historical Landmarks of New Rochelle,'' by Morgan Seacord, 1938, pg.6</ref> In 1689, Pell officially deeded 6,100 acres (25&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) for the establishment of a Huguenot community.<ref>''New York – A Guide to The Empire State'', [[Work Projects Administration]] of New York ,p. 245</ref>

[[Jacob Leisler]] is an important figure in the early histories of both New Rochelle and the United States. He arrived in America as a [[mercenary]] in the [[British Army]] and later became one of the most prominent merchants in New York. He was subsequently appointed acting-governor of the province; during his tenure he acted on behalf of the [[Huguenots]].<ref>''History of Westchester County, New York,'' J. Thomas Scharf, A.M., LL.D., p. 688</ref>

One condition of the sale was that Pell and his heirs would receive "one fatt calfe" on June 24 of every year thereafter, if demanded.<ref name=Taxay200/> The "fatt calfe" was commemorated in the [[New Rochelle 250th Anniversary half dollar]], minted in 1937.<ref name=Taxay200>{{cite book | last = Taxay | first = Don | author-link = Don Taxay | year = 1967 | title = An Illustrated History of U.S. Commemorative Coinage | publisher = Arco Publishing | location = New York, NY | isbn = 978-0-668-01536-3 |page=200 }}</ref><ref name="Berman 2008 p. 292">{{cite book | last=Berman | first=A.G. | title=Warman's Coins And Paper Money: Identification and Price Guide | publisher=Penguin Publishing Group | year=2008 | isbn=978-1-4402-1915-3 | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ZhJjDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT292 | access-date=December 2, 2023 | page=292 | archive-date=December 2, 2023 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202183211/https://books.google.com/books?id=ZhJjDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT292 | url-status=live }}</ref> Pell's descendants did not request a calf until the 1950s.<ref name="nytimes.com">{{Cite news|date=1953-08-08|title=New Rochelle Mayor to Unload 'Fatt Calfe' As 'Rent' After Year of Waiting for Pell Kin|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1953/08/08/archives/new-rochelle-mayor-to-unload-fatt-calfe-as-rent-after-year-of.html|access-date=2023-12-02|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=December 2, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202183212/https://www.nytimes.com/1953/08/08/archives/new-rochelle-mayor-to-unload-fatt-calfe-as-rent-after-year-of.html|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="Charleston Daily Mail 1999"/> Since then, there have been occasional "fatt calfe" ceremonies.<ref name="Charleston Daily Mail 1999">{{Cite news|title=An expert gives the word on words: Lord offered cow as part of 1688 land deal|work=Charleston Daily Mail|date=3 July 1999|page=9A|id={{ProQuest|331853705}}}}</ref><ref name="nytimes.com"/>

Of all the Huguenot settlements in America founded with the intention of being distinctly French colonies, New Rochelle most clearly fulfilled such plans. The colony attracted French refugees until as late as 1760, during the [[French and Indian War]] in North America between Britain and France.

The settlement was named after [[La Rochelle, France]], where many of the French refugees had come from. The people continued to speak [[French language|French]], and it was common practice for people in neighboring areas to send their children to New Rochelle to learn the language.<ref>''Historical Landmarks of New Rochelle,'' Morgan H. Seacord and William S. Hadaway, p. 94</ref>

[[File:Thomas Paine Monument 2015.png|thumb|left|upright|[[Thomas Paine Monument]]]]
In 1775, General [[George Washington]] stopped in New Rochelle on his way to assume command of the Army of the [[Thirteen Colonies|United Colonies]] in Massachusetts.<ref name="autogenerated2">{{cite web|url=http://www.newrochelleny.com/182.asp|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090627104424/http://www.newrochelleny.com/182.asp|url-status=dead|title=New Rochelle On-line<!-- Bot generated title -->|archive-date=June 27, 2009}}</ref> In 1776 the British Army briefly occupied sections of New Rochelle and Larchmont. Following British victory in the [[Battle of White Plains]], New Rochelle became part of a "Neutral Ground" for General Washington to regroup his troops.<ref name="autogenerated2" />

After the [[American Revolutionary War|Revolutionary War]] ended, in 1784, patriot [[Thomas Paine]] was given a farm in New Rochelle for his service to the cause of independence. The farm, totaling about 300 acres (1.2&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>), had been confiscated from its owners by the state of New York due to their Tory activities.

The first national census of 1790 shows New Rochelle with 692 residents. Some 136 were [[African American]], including 36 who were [[Freeman (Colonial)|freemen]]; the remainder were [[Slavery in the United States|enslaved]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.newrochelleny.com/183.asp |title=Archive of "New Rochelle On-line" |access-date=2009-04-12 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20040219214807/http://www.newrochelleny.com/183.asp |archive-date=February 19, 2004 |df=mdy-all }}</ref>