New York has always been revolutionary.
The Big Apple was a vital cornerstone in the shaping of America, with the five boroughs serving as the backdrop to the turbulent years in which the United States separated itself from British rule, thanks in part to its location along the Hudson River.
But life was difficult for the patriots who fought for their freedom, especially those living in Manhattan, which remained under British control until 1783.
“Everyone who lives in New York City today, in the broader circle around Manhattan, is essentially experiencing an ongoing, low-level civil war,” explained Peter Christian Aigner, executive director of the Gotham Center for New York City History and co-curator of its “Occupied City” exhibition, referring to the population at the time.
“These circumstances are bleak, and they are bleak for everyone.”
Other than the year-long period during which the Continental Army controlled the Big Apple, most American patriots were forced to live under British rule as prisoners of war or spies during the Revolution.
Here’s a glimpse of what daily life is like for a rebel in New York:
clothes
The Patriots did not have a militia uniform, as most soldiers wore their best suits and overalls to fight.
At that time, men’s style was slim three-piece suits, white socks, low-heeled shoes with buckles and three-cornered hats.
Women wore French-style robes – or long gowns with narrow bodices and baskets, or collars, to give the era’s famous wide silhouette.
Because it was wartime, most rebels wore clothes spun from wool and sewn together by their wives or children.
“They are not well equipped,” Aigner said.
Housing
Finding places to sleep was a major issue for both sides during the Revolutionary War, with the British Parliament passing the famous Quartering Acts in 1765 and 1774 that required colonists to provide housing, food, and supplies even to British soldiers.
Up to 20 soldiers can be packed into a 21-square-foot room.
There were also makeshift camps throughout Manhattan, where the disease was so rampant that men with carts drove through them daily and picked up the bodies that were piling up in the streets.
There are forgotten graves beneath modern City Hall where the remains of more than 20,000 New Yorkers from that era lie.
“We don’t know exactly how many people are dying, but people are dying like flies,” Aigner said of the era.
food
The cost of basic goods jumped by 700% during the war, and there was constant talk of famine.
The rebels lived on meager rations of bread, pork, and beef, and were forced to “forage” for their meals in the forests and swamps that were then abundant in the Five Wards.
“But it also means raiding — the word is used a little loosely sometimes. “A foraging party might go out into the woods, but they are more likely to find resources on an established ranch,” Aigner said.
Meeting places
Taverns were the main meeting place for politicians, and New York had more drinking places than any other colony.
Rebels from other colonies would flock to bars to exchange updates about the war.
Fraunces Tavern in Lower Manhattan is perhaps most famous in the United States for hosting the Founding Fathers as they made their plans for the Revolution.
The Rivington Café, located in Hanover Square in the same area, was also a favorite meeting place for the Culper spy ring appointed by George Washington, which organized a secret network, supervised the spread of military intelligence and played an important role in intercepting British plans.
“There are spies spread throughout the city,” Aigner said. “There are a lot of rebels in the city, but they are hidden.”
Other patriots were stationed around the outer boroughs, which were mostly farmland, and assisted in frequent raids against the British.
Falling
The paranoia was constant.
Washington had a constant fear of having spies loyal to him in its ranks, and the Continental Army was plagued by constant desertions.
Ultimately, the future president ordered the traitors to be executed, although other punishments such as flogging were issued.
Being captured by the British was also a terrible punishment.
American spies and soldiers were taken as prisoners of war and placed on six ships off the Brooklyn Navy Yard.
They were fed moldy bread, had no place to relieve themselves, and insects crawled across the boats.
outcome
The British were finally evacuated from New York on November 25, 1783, after the signing of the Treaty of Paris, ending a seven-year military occupation of the city.
“We have emerged from this horrific experience as a much more united nation,” Aigner said.
“I don’t know how you temper war, but there were real gains that came out of it. We got independence, we got all our notions of democracy.”