The Occupied City: New York and the American Revolution

We talk about the 1776 New York Campaign as a series of Continental Army defeats, from Brooklyn in August to Fort Washington’s fall in November. But for New Yorkers, the campaign raised a harder question: How would they survive an occupation that lasted more than seven years? What did the occupation look like when the Continental Army arrived in spring 1776? How did the British hold the city as they struggled to house, supply, and keep its people loyal? And what did New York City mean to the thousands of people who fled there to escape slavery? Sarah Henry, Chief Curator Emerita at the Museum of the City of New York, and historian Blake McGready guide us through their exhibition, The Occupied City: New York and the American Revolution. Museum of the City of New York Website (https://www.mcny.org/exhibitions?gad_...) | Exhibit Show Notes: (https://benfranklinsworld.com/403) https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/455 EPISODE OUTLINE 00:00:00 Introduction 00:04:53 Meet Sarah Henry and Blake McGready 00:06:39 Why the British Wanted New York 00:13:57 New York's Revolutionary Politics 00:20:35 The Continental Army's Occupation of New York 00:26:47 The 1776 New York Campaign 00:31:37 Life in British-Occupied New York 00:42:06 Self-Emancipated People in Occupied New York 00:45:08 A Tour of the Occupied City Exhibition 00:56:30 Evacuation Day and Rebuilding New York 01:03:09 1776 in Context: New York's Revolutionary Legacy 01:07:46 Final Thoughts RECOMMENDED NEXT EPISODES 🎧 Episode 113: Building the Empire State (https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/113) 🎧 Episode 189: The Little Ice Age (https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/189) 🎧 Episode 306: The Horse's Tail: Revolution & Memory in Early NYC (https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/306) 🎧 Episode 395: The Great New York Fire of 1776 (https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/395) 🎧 Episode 437: Civilian Life in Revolutionary War Occupied Cities (https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/437) 🎧 Episode 454: Life Between Two armies: Westchester County and the American Revolution (https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/454) SUPPORT OUR WORK 🎁 Make a Donation to (https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/donate) Ben Franklin’s World (https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/donate) REQUEST A TOPIC 📨 Topic Request Form (https://bevel-gateway-5e2.notion.site...) 📫 liz@benfranklinsworld.com (mailto:liz@benfranklinsworld.com) WHEN YOU'RE READY 🗞️ (https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/new...) BFW Gazette Newsletter (https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/new...) 👩‍💻 Join the BFW Listener Community (  / benfranklinsworld  ) 🌍 Join the History Explorers Club (https://www.historyexplorers.club/) TAKE THE QUIZ 🧭 Discover How You Explore History (under 2 minutes) 👉 https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/quiz (https://www.benfranklinsworld.com/qui...) LISTEN 🎧 🍎 Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...) 💚 Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2oghPc2...) 🎶 Amazon Music (https://www.audible.com/podcast/Ben-F...) 🛜 Pandora (https://www.pandora.com/podcast/ben-f...) CONNECT 🦋 Liz on Bluesky (https://bsky.app/profile/lizcovart.bs...) 👩‍💻 Liz on LinkedIn (  / lizcovart  ) 🛜 Liz’s Website (https://www.lizcovart.com/) SAY THANKS 💜 Leave a review on Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast...) 💚 Leave a rating on Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/2oghPc2...) *Book links are affiliate links. Every purchase supports the podcast.