Great Fire of New York 1776

Introduction

In 1776, a great fire broke out in New York which destroyed almost one quarter of the city. It was the night of September 21st, when the fire initially broke out on the west side of Manhattan. The fire broke out when the British forces first took control of the city during the American Revolutionary War.

Background

The American Revolutionary War started in 1775, with the city divided into two different political groups; the active Patriot organization and the Loyalist. There was tension between both the groups, as after the Lexington and Concord, the Patriots took control ...