It is the summer of 1775. Hostilities have erupted between England and her colonies in America. Among a host of concerns and preparations by New York City’s patriots and Provincial Congress is the defense of Manhattan and the surrounding region. On June 26th, 1775, the New York Provincial Congress met as a body for the …
Mankind discovered the amazing qualities of flint long before written history. The introduction of steel to what became known as the tinder box brought ready flame for quick use. People became adept at sparking dried tinder to start fires, but ingenuity lead to quicker and more practical means to achieve the same end. In the …
During the mid 1700’s, New York City catered to the darker side of life with its many ‘disorderly houses’, ‘tipling shops’, and brothels. They were all located in a seething slum of shacks and portable houses on land owned and leased by the largest Anglican Parish in the city: Trinity Church. It was for that …
The Weedon Tavern, Fredericksburg, Virginia, was named for George Weedon, a man who fought in the French and Indian War and was later named a Brigadier General in the American Revolutionary War. He was a friend of George Washington and many of the influential men of the time. He married into the tavern business and …
Paradox of a New Nation’s Cause for Liberty & Its Acceptance of Slavery Till the mind of the slave has been educated to perceive what are the obligations of a state of freedom, and not confound a man’s with a brute’s, the gift would insure its abuse… slaves were bequeathed to us by Europeans. George …
Military literature was of little or no value to the early colonists. There were no vast spreads of farmlands and meadows where massive armies could deploy. The terrain was wilderness and their forces small. Militias of farmers and merchants, properly armed to protect themselves from the “savages,” adopted the same methods of fighting as their …
On October 18th, 1776, at first light, Colonel John Glover stood atop a hill and raised his spy-glass to look out over the harbor of Pell’s Point, NY along the Long Island Sound. He was flabbergasted. He saw what looked like upwards of over two hundred British ships sitting off shore. General William Howe was …
In 1776, Trinity Church stood along Broadway on the high ground opposite the west end of Wall Street. It was one of three churches in the Anglican parish in New York City; the other two were St. Paul’s, located further north on Broadway and St. George’s to the east on Beekman’s Street. New York was …
Enlist no Stroller, Negro, Or Vagabond General George Washington In 1775, when rhetoric turned to open conflict, some militia commanders welcomed freemen and slaves into their ranks. Twenty percent of the country’s residents were of African heritage with four percent of that number freeman. For many, especially recruiters pressured to meet Congress’ demands for enlistment …
September 16, 1776 The clock strikes two bells past the eleventh hour. Colonel Thomas Reed, aide to General Washington, quickly crosses to his general, passing under the substantial archway of the Morris mansion into the sitting room. The post’s bulky leather satchel remains over one shoulder while in his hand is held a sealed envelope. …