Final answer:
New York was founded as a Dutch colony to establish fur-trading posts, and governance was dominated by leaders appointed by the Dutch West India Company and later the English crown. The colony was renamed New York after the English capture, and the initial representative assembly’s power was curtailed under English rule, making option D the correct choice.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct historical fact stated in the passage about New York is D) New York was founded to establish fur-trading posts by the Dutch, and governors were appointed by the King of England. Initially called New Amsterdam, the colony was founded for economic purposes rather than as a haven for religious refugees.
The Dutch West India Company (DWIC) set up an arbitrary government with leaders like Peter Stuyvesant, who often clashed with the settlers. After the English capture in 1664 during the Second Anglo-Dutch War, New Amsterdam was renamed New York in honor of the Duke of York, the brother of King James of England, and the English continued to appoint governors rather than electing them.
In 1683, New York's assembly was formed and the "Charter of Liberties and Privileges" granted colonists certain rights, although this charter was later revoked by King James, leading to higher tensions and eventual revolt against deputy governor Francis Nicholson's administration. The initially diverse community and the introduction of representative assembly suggests that while the colonists eventually gained some power in government, ultimately control remained with the English crown, contradicting options B and C from the given choices.