This book, crafted using the latest New York State academic research and standards, explores how geographic factors and natural resources available in New York State influenced its growth and development. From the first Native American inhabitants to today, and from the Great Lakes to the Adirondack Mountains, this volume examines how New York’s unique landscape and natural resources helped shape the development of the state. Primary source documents, full-color photographs, and maps help readers understand how New York’s residents have used the resources available to them, and how we still use them today.