In the 19th century extremely violent conflicts took place between mostly Northern Irish Protestants (Orangemen) and Irish Catholics. The Orange Riot of 1870 began on July 12 (known as Marching Day in Northern Ireland), when a parade was held in Manhattan by Irish Protestants celebrating the victory at the Battle of the Boyne of William III, the King of England and Prince of Orange, over James II in 1690. [Read more…] about The Orange Riots of 1870 and 1871
NYC
NYC Community Center Archiving the LGBTQ Revolution
Tucked away on the 4th floor of a much-repurposed 1850s school building in Greenwich Village, the LGBT Community Center’s National History Archive is a cultural and historical refuge-within-a-sanctuary.
The Community Center has been operating at 208 W. 13th Street since 1983. The entire building is intended to be a safe and welcoming place “where everyone is celebrated for who they are.” Today, the Center is an effervescent hub, and sponsors a broad-range of activities and programs for the lesbian, gay and transgender community, including health and wellness, arts and entertainment, and counseling. [Read more…] about NYC Community Center Archiving the LGBTQ Revolution
Greenwich Village: Past and Present
On a bitterly cold January morning in 1917, the painters John Sloan and Marcel Duchamps, along with friends, climbed to the top of Washington Square Arch to proclaim the secession of Greenwich Village from the United States. Thenceforth the neighborhood that stood as America’s repository of avant-garde art, literature and social enlightenment would be known as the Free and Independent Republic of Washington Square. The stunt defined the character of the Village, as it is popularly known to New Yorkers, for the ensuing half century. [Read more…] about Greenwich Village: Past and Present
The Slave Conspiracy Riot of 1741
This conflict also known as “The New York Conspiracy Riot” was an amazingly intricate and brutal affair that in addition to its local implications had an international twist as well.
In the context of the longstanding European conflicts, English colonists in New York City felt anxious about the French presence in Canada to the north and Spanish colonies in the Gulf Coast and the Mississippi River Valley to the South and West. They also felt threatened by a recent influx of Irish immigrants, whose Catholicism might incline them to spy for France and Spain. [Read more…] about The Slave Conspiracy Riot of 1741
A History of Housing in New York City Revised
A standard in the field since its publication in 1992, A History of Housing in New York City traces New York’s housing development from 1850 to the present in text and profuse illustrations.
Richard Plunz explores the housing of all classes, with comparative discussion of the development of types ranging from the single-family house to the high-rise apartment tower. His analysis is placed within the context of the broader political and cultural development of New York City. [Read more…] about A History of Housing in New York City Revised
NYC: Evacuation Day Events Planned for Friday
The Lower Manhattan Historical Society and the Veteran Corps of Artillery of the State of New York have announced the third annual celebatory commemoration of Evacuation Day, on Friday, November 25th, 2016.
On November 25, 1783, the British occupying garrison evacuated New York City at the conclusion of the Revolutionary war. On this day general George Washington, Commander-in-chief of the continental army, marched his troops into Lower Manhattan, thereby liberating New York City from British occupation. [Read more…] about NYC: Evacuation Day Events Planned for Friday
The Fight To Make Evacuation Day A NYC Holiday
On November 25, 1783, George Washington marched down Broadway in New York City retaking the last British stronghold in the United States. By prearrangement, the British and their many Tory supporters were to leave the City by 12 pm. The American flag was to be raised at the flagpole at the north end of what is today Bowling Green park, officially ending the American Revolution. There was, however, one minor snag. When the American advance guard sought to put up the 13-star American flag, they discovered the British had greased the pole, so that the British flag could not be brought down. Washington said he would not enter the lower part of the City until the American flag was flying. A young sailor John Van Arsdale then bought cleats from a local hardware store and shimmied up the flagpole to raise the American flag, and Washington’s triumphant march to Lower Manhattan continued. [Read more…] about The Fight To Make Evacuation Day A NYC Holiday
For Rent: Federal Hall National Monument
National Park Service, Manhattan Sites and the National Parks of New York Harbor Conservancy (Harbor Conservancy) announced that Federal Hall National Memorial is available to rent for special events.
Federal Hall National Monument is one of 413 units of the National Park Service. From 1789 to 1790, the location of Federal Hall National Memorial was the seat of the United States federal government under the new Constitution. Congress passed many of the founding laws of the nation and approved the Bill of Rights for ratification by the states. The 1883 statue of George Washington commemorates where our first president took the oath of office on April 30, 1789. [Read more…] about For Rent: Federal Hall National Monument
New Book Traces History of NYC Traffic Signals
When it comes to traffic signals, most people overlook them, but many are unaware that there is a history behind them.
Steven Gembara’s new book New York City’s Red and Green Lights: a Brief Look Back in Time (FastPencil, 2015) offers a unique perspective on the two-color traffic signal’s existence in the 20th century in New York City and how it helped evolved the city’s streets to what they are in the modern day. [Read more…] about New Book Traces History of NYC Traffic Signals
Saratoga, Yorktown Celebration Planned For NYC
The Lower Manhattan Historical Society as announced the third annual commemoration of the American Revolutionary War victories at the battles of Saratoga and Yorktown, at the Trinity Churchyard, 79 Broadway (at Wall Street), in the City of New York.
The ceremony will take place on Saturday, October 15, 2016, from 2:30 to 3:30 pm, two days before the 239th anniversary of the surrender by British General Gentleman Johnny Burgoyne of his 10,000 man force to American General Horatio Gates, the commanding general at the Battle of Saratoga, on October 17, 1777. [Read more…] about Saratoga, Yorktown Celebration Planned For NYC