(detail, William Faden, 1776. NYPL)

Originally developed as part of Matthew Knutzen‘s Maps Institute class in the summer of 2014, this site examines major events, places, and the impact of notable people in Manhattan, Staten Island, and the villages and towns of Long Island beginning in the pivotal year of 1776 and continuing to the end of British occupation in 1783. Using books, web resources, maps, and digitized versions of primary sources, this site explores the important role contemporary New York City played in the American Revolution.

This project is a work in progress, laid out in three phases. Phase One, titled First Strikes, Long Island, outlines key points of the eponymous Battle in August 1776. Phase Two, Second Wave: Manhattan, will examine actions and events on New York Island between September 1 and November 16, 1776. Phase Three, Occupation and the Birth of a Capital, will provide information on daily life in the greater New York City region between September 1776 and November 1783.

Newer posts appear in the links below; readers are encouraged to browse the archives by clicking on tags or categories that appear on every page.

A “pathfinder” of sorts, this site aims to provide resources for those studying this aspect of American and New York City history.

–Diane Dias De Fazio, revised 2015.