America 250: How the Bronx got its name

Before the Bronx became one of New York City’s five boroughs, it was native land, a river valley and a 17th Century colonial settlement shaped by European trade, Dutch power and the arrival of a man named Jonas Bronck.As the United States approaches its 250th anniversary, the early history of the Bronx shows how New York’s colonial past extended far beyond Lower Manhattan. The borough’s name traces back to Bronck. His arrival, agriculture and trade helped shape the identity of