By the middle of the 18th century New York city was regarded as the focal point of resistance to royal authority. A majority of its leading citizens were descendants of the Dutch patroons, intel ligent men and women who, though loyal to the English Govern ment, were fully aware of its incompetency in America. Gover nor George Clinton, who returned to England in 1753 after a stormy rule of ten years, turned over the government to Sir Dan vers Osborne on Oct. 7. The next day, Osborne's body was found hanging in the garden of his home. Chief Justice DeLancey took oath as lieutenant governor and became acting governor. On Oct. 31, 1754, DeLancey signed the charter of King's college (now Co lumbia university, q.v.), which had been established in 1753 in the vestry room of Trinity church. News of the capture of Que bec by Montcalm in 1759 was hailed in New York with great en thusiasm, and causes of resentment against English rule were soon supplied by the imprisonment of New York sailors by Brit ish men-of-war in the very harbour of the city. When copies of the Stamp Act reached New York, it was denounced by the news papers. On Oct. 7, 1765, the Stamp Act Congress was called at the City Hall, with representatives from all provinces. While the congress was still in session on Oct. 23, a British ship arrived loaded with stamps, and in the face of the resistance of the people the fort prepared itself for defence. On Nov. r, 1765, a band of the Sons of Liberty hanged Governor Colden in effigy at the very door of the fort, and then burned the houses of several prom inent officials. Mayor John Cruger finally induced Colden to turn over the stamps to the city corporation; but the Sons of Lib erty were firm in their resistance to the enforcement of the Stamp Act and it was finally repealed on March 18, 1766. New York went wild with excitement and the Sons of Liberty on June 4 erected a liberty pole in "The Fields" (City Hall park), where a replica now stands. Rioting between the Sons of Liberty and the British soldiers was of almost daily occurrence and finally, in 1770, Mayor Hicks issued a proclamation forbidding soldiers to leave the barracks unless accompanied by an officer. The lib erty pole, which had been erected and cut down several times, was finally put up on the Commons and inscribed "Liberty and Property." But with the arrival of Sir William Tryon as governor, in July 1771, it became apparent almost at once that the tem porary peace would shortly end. News that a tea ship was on its way to New York to carry out Lord North's purposes of taxation was received with violent expressions of defiance through out the city. The Sons of Liberty reorganized to stir up resistance. When the ship reached New York, on April 7, 1774, its landing was refused, a few chests of tea were thrown into the bay by a committee of the Sons of Liberty previously appointed, and the ship sent home to England. The closure of the port of Boston was the signal for the calling of a meeting at Fraunces' tavern and the election of a Committee of Fifty-one, which issued the call for the first congress of the Colonies. The Committee of Fifty-one was dissolved with the election of a new committee of observation to enforce in New York the Nonimportation Act of the First Congress. From this time on events moved swiftly. On April 23, 1775, news of the Battle of Lexington reached New York. A mob took possession of City Hall and seized munitions stored there. Two British ships in the harbour were seized and their cargoes unloaded. The Committee of Sixty called for the election of a new Committee of One Hundred to arrange for call ing a war congress of deputies from all New York counties. The provincial congress met in New York and declared obedience to the Continental Congress, while reserving their right of internal control. On June 25, Gen. Washington arrived in New York with his staff on the way to Boston and the same day Governor Tryon returned from England. Each was received with official cere mony, but Washington's reception as he passed up Broadway was an ovation. On April 4, 1776, New York was put under military rule by Gen. Israel Putnam, and batteries were installed along the East river and other strategic points. On the evacuation of Boston, Washington moved his headquarters to New York. The news of the Declaration of Independence came to New York on July 9, 1776, and was read to the soldiers who immediately there after tore down the equestrian statue of George III. in Bowling Green, an act denounced by Washington in the next day's general orders. On July 12, Admiral Howe appeared with his fleet in the harbour, but not until Aug. 22 were troops landed at Gravesend bay. On Aug. 27, the advance of British troops toward the Amer ican lines on Brooklyn Heights was begun and by 2 o'clock the same day, the heights were taken by the British. On the evening of the 29th Washington withdrew all his troops from Long island without interference and reorganized in New York. The British then undertook to cut off the American army, on Sept. 15, by throwing a line of troops across Manhattan at about 34th street. But the Americans got to Harlem Heights, where Washington again reorganized. On Sept. 16, the British attacked unsuccess fully at Harlem Heights. About a week later, a fire broke out at Whitehall Slip and almost completely destroyed the lower part of the city. Trinity church was burned but St. Paul's and King's college were miraculously saved by a shifting of the wind. On this same evening, Nathan Hale, a spy for the American army, was captured on Long island and tried in New York by Gen. Howe.
He admitted that he was a spy and was condemned and hanged at a spot near 45th street and First avenue. New York was held by the British troops for the remainder of the war. During British occupancy, it was used largely as a prison camp. Churches, warehouses, jails and stores were packed with men sick and well. On the site of the fire, a village of huts and tents had sprung up which was called "Canvas Town," and occupied by bandits and "roughs." Robberies were a daily occurrence and citizens could expect no relief from the British soldiers. In Wall about bay, on the East river, an old hulk, the "Jersey," was used by the British as a prison ship and there over r r,000 men died. The city was in desperate straits for want of supplies, and sick ness ravaged the people. There was no government except mili tary rule, and the oppression of civilians by the soldiery was the cause of frequent riots. Justice was not to be had and the rev enues of the city corporation were appropriated by the military for their private uses. After the surrender of Cornwallis at York town, however, Sir Guy Carleton, a humane and honest officer, succeeded the intolerant Sir Henry Clinton in May 1782, and im mediately undertook the restoration of law and order. By the time of the evacuation, Nov. 25, 1783, confidence in government was in a fair way to restoration.
The parting of Washington with his troops came on Dec. 4, 1783, at Fraunces' tavern. After the departure of Washington, James Duane was appointed mayor by Governor Clinton. Busi ness slowly revived with freedom from restrictions of trade. King's college, by act of legislature, May 1, 1784, became the State university, and its name was changed to Columbia college. At this time, the population of the city was about 24,000. Con gress made New York the capital. On April 3o, 1789, Washington was inaugurated at Federal hall at the corner of Broad and Wall streets, and a day of celebration followed. There was still intense feeling against the loyalists, but commercial in terests soon erased the memories of personal conflict. The rise of commerce and wealth drew many people to New York, and it began to take on the appearance of a metropolis. As capital, the city was continually gay with festivities, public and private. But on Aug. 12, 1790, Washington made his last official visit to Fed eral hall and went to the new capital, Philadelphia. Edmond Charles Genet, on his arrival with the secret purpose of embroil ing America in a war with England, was received in New York at first with great enthusiasm, but with his recall, interest in French affairs grew cool. Men were too busy with their own affairs. Since 1786, the population had doubled and new streets and public utilities had been laid out. Collect pond, now the site of the Tombs (city prison), was the scene of the first trials of John Fitch's steamboat in 1796. New York ceased to be State capital in 1797. On July r r, 1804, the death of Alexander Harrul ton in his duel with Aaron Burr threw the city into mourning and Burr was so execrated he left in the night of July 21. This year the New York Historical Society was founded. With the help of Mayor DeWitt Clinton and of several of the founders of the so ciety, there was organized, in 1805, the Society for Establishing a Free School in the City of New York. Under Clinton schools were built and Columbia college improved, philanthropic organ izations increased in number, and arts and letters were stimulated. In 1807 there were 19 newspapers, of which eight were dailies. Although the Embargo Act of that year struck New York trade a serious blow, it was not without benefit in stimulating home industry. Finally, the Non-intercourse Act relieved the situa tion somewhat. The City Hall was completed in 1812, and there was at this time a very considerable advance both in architecture and building construction. Many new buildings, chiefly churches, were built, new streets were graded, and swamps were filled in along the water front. Collect pond was filled in and the hills and valleys of lower Manhattan were rapidly leveled for homes and other structures. In the midst of this prosperity, war was declared against Great Britain. The toll exacted from New York was tremendous; the burning of Washington by the British resulted in a great concentration of troops in New York. New fortifications were thrown up along the water front and the old ones strengthened. But on Feb. 11, 1814, the ship "Favorite" arrived at New York under flag of truce with British and Amer ican messengers and the treaty of peace. A jubilee followed and Sunday was a day of fervent thanksgiving. New York was then transformed almost over night. DeWitt Clinton was again mayor, and under his guidance the services of government were every where improved. Cadwallader D. Colden succeeded Clinton and likewise advanced all governmental and private services for public welfare. Great numbers of immigrants from Europe arrived and the problems of dealing with this great mass of new residents taxed the city to its limits. Yellow fever broke out in 1819, 1822 and 1823, and hundreds died daily until the epidemics were checked with the coming of cold weather ; others occurred ten years later with similar loss of life, but the city continued to grow with amazing rapidity. The opening of the Erie canal on Nov. 4, began a three days' celebration. At this date, the modern history of New York begins.