For seven years during the Revolutionary War, New York City was occupied by the British, serving as their North American headquarters.
Throughout those years, the city was a contested territory, with skirmishes and battles fought between the two forces, decimating infrastructure and killing scores of people on both sides.
Even before occupation, though, the city was a haven for Revolutionary agitation, British spies and sedition.
But once the war had ended, the triumphant Americans made the city the country’s first capital, and people flocked from all across the young nation to engage in panning and debate that would shape the future of the United States.
Here are seven facts about the history of the American Revolution in New York City, curated by our friends at the New-York Historical Society, just in time for Independence Day.
