Session 1 (1600-1776) Who Built This? Lenapehoking (Manhatta) to New York City illuminates Manhattan’s transition from a thriving forest full of hills on an island stewarded by the Lenape to a thriving metropolis and financial center in America built by enslaved African people. Beginning with the Indigenous Lenape presence in New York City, we will explore the lives and impact of the first non-native visitors, residents, and businesses in Lower Manhattan. African American communities in Greenwich Village, such as Little Africa, will be covered as well as the leaders of this community. You’ll learn about the formation of the first free black community in North America, located in our neighborhoods, starting around 1643, whose residents included Manuel Groot, or Big Manuel, Simon Congo, and Manuel de Gerrit de Rues.