Posted on 11/25/2017 6:07:27 AM PST by iowamark
On this day in 1783, the British finally evacuate New York, which had been their headquarters during the American Revolution.
Maybe you won’t be surprised to hear that the British took one last stab at insulting Americans before they left? They hoisted the Union Jack up a flagpole and greased the pole. The grease would make it difficult for Americans to switch out the flag for one of their own.
A young sailor, John Van Arsdale, was undeterred. He put on some cleats and climbed that greased pole! He was bound and determined to switch out the flag before General George Washington entered the city and saw the wrong flag flying. He succeeded, and his descendants would have the honor of hoisting the American flag during “Evacuation Day” celebrations for much of the 19th century. (These Evacuation Day celebrations were a major holiday in New York until sometime after the Civil War.)
The long years of British occupation had been rough on the city. Early in the war, Sir Henry Clinton’s aide-de-camp suggested that “[we should] give free liberty to the soldiers to ravage at will, that these infatuated wretches may feel what a calamity war is.” Judging by the state of the city, his advice was taken. The city was desolate and full of burned-out buildings when Washington arrived. Nevertheless, New York residents were thrilled to see their victorious General coming, and they lined the streets as he approached with New York Governor George Clinton.
Can you imagine how fun it must have been to join the cheering crowds that day?!
Of course, there was more to the day than just that. One unnamed American woman described the Continental Army’s triumphant entry back into New York that day. Perhaps she described the rush of emotions best:
“The [British] troops just leaving us were as if equipped for show, and, with their scarlet uniforms and burnished arms, made a brilliant display; the troops that marched in, on the contrary, were ill clad and weather beaten, and made a forlorn appearance; but then they were our troops and as I looked at them, and thought upon all they had done and suffered for us, my heart and my eyes were full, and I admired and gloried in them the more . . . .”
She was speaking of Washington’s re-entry into New York, but don’t her words apply to pretty much every aspect of the Revolution?
They didn’t go far enough. They still crash NYC Christmas parties, trying to get Americans to buy them booze.
The Brits would again rise up in 1812 until 1814.
Talk about long wars.
I read about a ceremony held during the British occupation of New York in which the British band played “God Save the King” but the Americans in attendance sang the Christian hymn, “Come, Thou Almighty King.” Both tunes have the same meter, so the words of one can be sung to the melody of the other.
Kind of like taking all the "w" keys from keyboards?
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Recessional of the Sons of the American Revolution:
“Until we meet again, let us remember our obligations to ourDr. Benjamin Franklin, when asked if we had a republic or a monarchy, replied "A Republic, if you can keep it."
forefathers who gave us our Constitution, the Bill of Rights,
an independent Supreme Court and a nation of free men.”
Looks like we made the right decision.
Those ships were also boarded by many American loyalists, who had fought on the losing side. They loaded up their families and household goods, and sailed off to Canada or England.
As reported by Brian Williams.
The song "America" ("My Country, 'Tis of Thee") is sung to the same melody as "God Save the King." However, "America" wasn't written until well after the Revolution.
Funny, that was my exact first thought, too. Petulant childish losers all.
Well, you lot got Quebec. So, perhaps it was all for the best.
Thanks for posting this. I’d never heard of “Evacuation Day” before. Oh that we could celebrate a 21st Century Evacuation Day when all democrats, marxists, leftists, and other assorted freedom-hating enslaves of mankind were driven from the land.
The timeline is interesting:
* Battle of Yorktown ends - Oct. 19, 1781
* Treaty of Paris ratified - Sept. 3, 1783
* British evacuate New York - Nov. 25, 1783
Assuming a ship departed France with the news shortly after ratification, it would have arrived in NYC about the time the British departed.
They had to take the W’s. They were flat broke, they had to pawn the highly valued W’s for gas money back to Arkansas. Unfortunately they didn’t have enough for a map and wound up in NY.
We Yanks made a greedy grab for the rest of North America? LOL So you say littleharbor... (oh, and in American it’s ‘harbor’....)
As long as they have the same meter, different lyrics can be sung to the same tune. In this case, "Come Thou Almighty King" fits, even though it is usually sung to a different tune.
But nobody asserted that "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" was the lyric substituted on this occasion.
For example, "Oh, My Darling Clementine" can be sung to the tune of "The Marines' Hymn"--and vice versa.
In addition to those three, I count at least five more:
The last of these were not evacuated until after the Treaty of Ghent in 1814.
There is no record implying that any Founder thought such British forts on American soil were, by themselves, a casus belli.
Instead US diplomats like John Jay negotiated patiently for years to get them removed peacefully.
I live in NYS so am not personally concerned with the three others (not 4).
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