From the 1620s, New York became a favorite destination for Dutch settlers who introduced numerous ideas and ways of lives in North America. New battles emerged since the foreigners tried to attack and control the Native Americans. The infamous Pavonia Massacre led to the death of around 80 natives. Flowe reveals that “turbulence forced the people to rebel and oppose foreign rule”. However, conflicts and tensions persisted until the signing of the peace treaty of 1645. After Britain overthrew the Dutch, the colonialists conceived superior ways of enslaving the people. The emerging disagreements would have numerous impacts on the future developments of this city.
From 1700, the colonialists continued to acquire and import slaves from different parts of the world, including the Caribbean and Africa. By 1703, over 42 percent of households had enslaved people who provided labor and domestic servitude. Flowe argues that: “Within four decades, the number of blacks from the African continent had increased significantly”. This trend made it possible for them to engage in conspiracies in an attempt to burn the entire city. Such cases of arson would eventually result in the execution of blacks who were believed to have led such attacks. Consequently, the nature of race relations between the blacks and whites in this region deteriorated.
Historians cannot get a true picture of the American Revolution without linking focusing on New York City’s background. This region became the center for the formulating strategies aimed at launching organized resistance to different authorities, including the British authority. According to McNamara, several battles were “fought in this city from 1766” that redefined the history of the country. A good example of such wars was the Battle of Fort Washington. Many loyalist refugees went further to occupy the city during the period. The British managed to make New York their stronghold. Additionally, George Washington went further to gather intelligence from this city. Throughout the time of the war, this city suffered numerous fires and damages. Towards the end of the revolution, The British fighters captured many prisoners of war and placed them in Wallabout Bay, Brooklyn. Many citizens lost their lives until the glorious return of Washington in 1783.
From 1860, New York became the epicenter of the American Civil War that took place between 186-1865. This was a major conflict whereby many white immigrants were opposed to the gains of the minorities and descendants of freed slaves. In 1861, some residents appeared to be divided over whether to support the Confederacy or the Union. According to Flowe, such diverse ideologies became dramatic and eventually resulted in the Draft Riots of the year 1863. This upheaval was as a result of the misbehaviors of many whites who attacked abolitionists and black communities. Such victims were eventually forced to consider new regions or cities.
From the analyses, it is evident that the strategic location of New York and as the entry point to the United States became the best place for experimenting new ideas and launching wars. Such tensions were as a result of the conflicting ideologies and expectations of different parties. Goodfriend goes further to reveal that “political considerations were integral to the discourse of decline” in New York. The issues revolving around colonialism, inequality, slavery, and the Union became the key sources of all the major challenges experienced in this city from 1620s to 1880s. The examination of these events would make it possible for more scholars to think about New York as a city with numerous historical tensions, conflicts, and disagreements.
References
Flowe, Douglas. ““[T]Hey’re Knocking Down Negroes ‘Round Here”: Public Racial Violence And Black Self-Defense In Early 20th Century NYC.” The Gotham Center for New York City History, 2016.
Goodfriend, Joyce D. ““Most Everything Was Still Dutch”: Against the British Era Declension Narrative.” The Gotham Center for New York City History, 2018.
McNamara, Robert. “New York City in the 19th Century.” Thought Co, 2019.