The Mayor of New York City is the chief executive of New York City's government, as stipulated by New York City's charter. The current mayor, the 109th in the sequence of regular mayors, is Bill de Blasio, a Democrat.
During the Dutch colonial period from 1624 to 1664, New Amsterdam was governed by the Director of New Netherland. The office of Mayor of New York was established in 1665 and were appointed by colonial governors until 1777. The year prior, New York was run by Richard Nicolls, the British military governor of the Province of New York. Thomas Willett was the first person to be specifically appointed mayor.
In 1777, during the American Revolution, a Council of Appointment was formed by the State of New York. In 1821 the New York City Council – then known as the Common Council – began appointing mayors.
Since 1834, mayors have been elected by direct popular vote.
Before 1898, the city included little beyond the island of Manhattan. The 1898 consolidation created the city as it is today with five boroughs: Manhattan, the Bronx, Brooklyn, Queens, and Staten Island.