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 […]