Center George Gustav hay, in southern Manhattan, a branch of the National Museum of the American Indian in Washington. Tourists stranded in new York, it makes sense to look here: branches – the richest collection that tells the history of the indigenous inhabitants of America.

Indians is an integral part of U.S. history: the legendary pilgrims who landed in 1620 the ship "Mayflower" at Plymouth rock, never would have survived the first brutal winter, if not for the help of a local tribe. These were people with a complex social structure. The Iroquois, who lived in the Northern part of the future of the state of new York, has created something of a League of Nations – the political Union of the five major tribes. The Indians were skilled hunters and farmers.

The appearance of Europeans led to a sharp decline in the numbers of indigenous peoples. The main reason for this was unknown continent diseases – chickenpox, measles, malaria: against them the Indians had no immunity. The colony, initially located on the East coast, sought to break new ground – this led to armed conflicts whites with the Indians. During the war of the colonies for independence Indian community took the part of either the colonists or the British, but more often aspired to neutrality. In the early nineteenth century, Indian tribes, under the leadership of the great warrior Tecumseh tried to resist white expansion, but were defeated. After the Civil war, the Indians recognized as full citizens of the United States. The second world war contributed to their inclusion in society: a third of the able-bodied male Indians served in the armed forces of the country, earning the respect his courage.

All this talk about 800 thousand exhibits of the Museum: weapons, gorgeous clothes, household items and arts of native Americans. The basis of the collection is the collection of the antiquary George Gustav hay, who for more than half a century traveled in the Americas, collecting everything connected with the indigenous inhabitants of the New world.

The Museum occupies two floors of the building house the U.S. customs named after Alexander Hamilton. It was built in 1907 by architect Cass Gilbert in the Beaux arts. In front of the facade overlooking the Bowling green, sculptural groups symbolizing the four continents, America, Asia, Europe and Africa. In itself, the location of the Museum in highly symbolic. Here in 1626 was Fort Amsterdam, under the protection of which the Dutch colonists made a good deal by buying from the Indian chiefs the island of Manhattan for 60 guilders.