Sources included here are specific to New York (New Netherlands, Rensselaerswyck) but looking at particular well-known and prominent families like the Van Rensselaers and Van Cortlandts would also be a good avenue to understand the history. Looking a the New Netherland Company and it directors from 1624-1664 that include: Cornelis Jacobszoon Mey, Willem Verhulst, Peter Minuit, Wouter Van Twiller, Willem Kieft, Petrus (Peter) Stuyvesant. Some of the resources devoted to New England may also touch on New York. In researching the history of New York colonial economic development, it might be helpful to also research the history of Dutch trade External.
This guide includes books that are more focused on business and economic topics, but books that cover the history of the state will provide a broader perspective but also include discussions that are trade, industry, and economic in nature. It might be important to also search on the names of prominent men and families, particularly if they played and outsized role in the economy and history of the city or state. The following materials link to fuller bibliographic information in the Library of Congress Online Catalog. Links to digital content are provided when available.