Did you know that at one time, Flatbush had the highest percentage of slaves vis a vis the population, of anywhere in the colonies, something like 45%. Long Island was slave city, with Dutch masters. That flat fertile land was perfect for a slave economy. Don't hold me to it, but this was around 1720. NYC (lower Manhattan) was 20% slave. In 1741, they tried to burn the city down, and about 100 were executed (some burned at the stake), and another bunch deported. Who knew?
All correct. Suffolk County was also a Ku Klux Klan stronghold during the 1920s. The flagpole for Islip Township still has a plaque from its dedication from the Daughters of the Ku Klux Klan.
Long Island, the eastern part of New Jersey, and the Delmarva Peninsula, are all closely related in climate, vegetation, and soil to the rest of the southern coastal plain. That their colonial economies should be similar is unsurprising. Long Island alone of these today, and only because of its proximity to Manhattan, lacks the poor blacks living in tar paper and tin roof shacks.