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, […]
Map and Plan to Illustrate the Battle of Long Island
As part of the commemoration of the 249th anniversary of the Battle of Brooklyn (Battle of Long Island), I present to you the fantastic Map and Plan to Illustrate the Battle of Long Island. This was compiled by Henry Onderdonk, Jr. and published in 1849 in Revolutionary incidents of Suffolk […]
Historic Trees of New York City
Sweet gum trees and a walnut tree outside of Hamilton Grange. Peter Stuyvesant’s Pear Tree Stuyvesant’s pear tree was still blossoming in the mid-19th century. Note the horse-drawn streetcar on 3rd Avenue. From When Old New York was Young by Charles Hemstreet. On one of Peter Stuyvesant’s journeys back from […]
But I am Not Conquered: The Real-life History of The Gilded Age in NYC, Season 3 Episode 8
One of the important aspects of The Gilded Age has hinged on how and why the old money “Knickerbockers” such as Agnes Van Rijn bristle when “new” moneyed individuals show up and try to get into New York society. This is of course played out in Seasons 1 and 2, […]
A Day that Promised to Make or Mar the Fortunes: The Real-life History of The Gilded Age in NYC, Season 3 Episode 7
Mrs. Astor’s great arbiter of society was born as Samuel Ward McAllister in 1827 in Savannah, Georgia. His father’s family served with great distinction in various levels of local and national government, and his mother came from a long line of New Englanders. He was a cousin of writer Julia […]
High Bridge
In 1848, the Aqueduct Bridge, as it was officially called, opened across the Harlem River. It was an immediate success, and became a popular curiosity and attraction. People could walk across the top and see spectacular views of New York and surrounding areas. A rendering of a high bridge as […]