Flag Day commemorates the day in 1777 when the Second Continental Congress officially adopted a new flag, with thirteen red and white stripes and thirteen stars on a blue field, representing a new constellation. It was first displayed in August 1777 at Fort Schuyler in upstate NewYork, raised by Peter […]
The New York Knickerbockers in the Five and Six-Ties
Father Knickerbocker, the inspiration for (thanks to the fantastic Washington Irving) the name of the New York Knickerbockers. This was used as the team’s logo through the 1963-1964 season. From The New York Knicks 1954-55 Media Guide. Cover of the New York Knicks 1957-58 Media Guide Thrilling Garden Action – […]
A Token of Appreciation for the Metrocard
With sales of the Metrocard ending today, I can’t help but reminisce and reflect upon its history, which spans three decades. First introduced in 1994, the Metrocard gradually replaced the tokens that had been used since 1953, finally superseding them in 2003. Since then, the Metrocard has become an integral […]
The Fantasticals and Ragamuffin Parades: How New Yorkers used to celebrate Thanksgiving
For many years, one of the major civic celebrations in New York City was Evacuation Day, which was celebrated each November 25th to mark the day the Americans secured the city following the end of hostilities with the British. Several years later, President George Washington issued a proclamation decreeing that […]
Gratitude and Joy, Peace and Triumph: New York City’s Evacuation Day
In the wake of the Battle of Fort Washington in November 1776, the British firmly held onto York Island (Manhattan), and would continue to control the island for nearly seven years, well after the Battle of Yorktown and cessation of military operations. Many Loyalist refugees from the colonies had fled […]
Ideas Outlive All Human Things: Death by Lightning and New York City
Last year I read Candice Millard’s excellent Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President, and I was delighted to find out that it had been picked up by Netflix for a limited series. I recently blew through the four episodes, and I […]
The Battle of Fort Washington
Attacks of Fort Washington by his Majesty’s Forces under the command of General Sir William Howe, November 16th, 1776. This view shows the three-pronged attack, with the British (in red) and Hessian (in blue) forces against the Americans (in yellow). It also affords an excellent look at the challenging topography […]
Clinton’s Ditch turned Clinton’s Delight: How the Erie Canal was Built
On the morning of October 26th, 1825, citizens of Buffalo poured into the streets to watch a grand parade designating the opening of the Erie Canal. Following the parade and a series of speeches, a canal boat made of local red cedar called the Seneca Chief, carrying Governor DeWitt Clinton […]
New York’s Old Armories
The New York State Arsenal as it looked during the Civil War (above). In 1861 it was occupied by the 7th New York Infantry Regiment, nicknamed the Steuben Regiment (below; the location is often cited as the State Arsenal on 57th Street but this is in error). From Old New […]
The Battle of Brooklyn
In January 1776, George Washington appointed General Charles Lee to oversee the construction of defenses in New York, providing instructions that noted “you are to put that City in the best posture of Defence which the Season and Circumstances will admit of.” Lee recognized that the geography of New York, […]