The first documented visit by a European was in 1524 by Giovanni da Verrazzano, a Florentine explorer in the service of the French crown, who sailed his ship La Dauphine into New York Harbor. He claimed the area for France and named it "Nouvelle Angoulême" (New Angoulême).
If it is possible to answer this question, answer it for me (else, reply "unanswerable"): What nation did Giovanni da Verrazzano serve?
France