1770
Jan 17
British soldiers tear down New York City’s liberty pole. Golden Hill becomes the site of anti-British riots lasting two days.
Jan 19
New York City Sons of Liberty leader Alexander McDougall leads an attack on British troops in a skirmish on Golden Hill.
Feb 8
Alexander McDougall is jailed by the British for publishing an anti-Quartering Act broadside.
Apr 29
Alexander McDougall is released on bail by the British.
Aug 21
A statue of George III is erected in New York’s Bowling Green.
City
King’s College (Columbia) awards the first two doctorates of medicine in the North American colonies. ** The Common Council begins buying alcohol for firefighters at the scene of fires. ** The city has 15 churches serving 10 denominations. ** A smallpox epidemic strikes the city. Several hundred black victims are buried in a site in today's City Hall Park. ** A member of the Common Council proposes the formation of an organization similar to Philadelphia's Contributionship for the Insurance of Houses From Loss by Fire. Nothing comes of the suggestion at this time. ** George Burns, proprietor of Burns’ Coffee House at 115 Broadway (corner of Cedar Street) dies. Former Queen’s Head - later the site of Fraunces Tavern – owner Richard Bolton takes over Burns’.
Staten Island
Cornelius Cruser adds a large section to the stone cottage built in 1720 by Cornelius Van Santvoord, in the still-to-come New Brighton neighborhood.
Law
New York attorney John Wells is born.
1771
City
A fence is erected around the Bowling Green. ** The population reaches 21,869.
1772
September
Sir John Johnson travels to New York City for the social season. He enrolls two nieces, Polly Johnson and Catherine Claus, in boarding school there.
City
Margaret Nicholls, wife of Court of Chancery examiner Richard Nicholls, dies
in Manhattan, is buried in the family plot in Trinity Church graveyard.
1773
Feb 18
New York City seed merchant Grant Thorburn is born in Westhouses, Scotland, to nail maker James Thorburn and his wife Elizabeth Fairlie Thorburn.
September
William and Emily Forsyth move from Québec City to New York City with their family, including Forsyth stepson John MacKinzie (who will later drop the 'Mac' from his name).
Nov 7
Daniel MacLeod leaves New York City to inspect Beekmantown, New York, on the western shore of Lake Champlain.
Dec 7
Governor Tryon's New York City house within Fort George is destroyed by fire.
City
Alexander Hamilton begins his studies at King’s College (Columbia). He will not earn a degree there. ** The city's population is now nearly 22,000; there are 396 licensed taverns plus an uncounted number of extralegal ones. ** The Common Council reimburses tavernkeeper John Simmons for alcohol supplied to coroners' juries. ** The New-York Gazette, or, the Weekly Post-Boy, published by founder James Parker until his death in 1770, ceases publication after 30 years. ** Irish immigrant Christopher Colles, recently-returned from touring British canals, gives a lecture on canal engineering. ** The city has around three dozen Jewish families. ** A house is built for Joseph Rose, captain of the brig Industry, at 273 Water Street – close to the river at the time. It will be the third-oldest building in the city. Rose shares a pier with a neighbor, merchant William Laight. ** Robert Robinson and Michael Price enter into a partnership to open a dry goods shop at Horse and Cart (William) Street, the former named for a popular tavern. ** The approximate date architect Josiah Cleveland Cady is born in Providence, Rhode Island, to Josiah and Lydia Cady.
1774
Apr 16
The Commerce arrives in New York from Edinburgh with 230 passengers aboard.
Apr 19
A broadside posted in New York City announces the arrival of contraband tea off New Jersey's Sandy Hook.
Apr 22
Engineer Christopher Colles, recently arrived from Philadelphia, presents a proposal to the New York City Common Council for building a reservoir and waterworks system. ** The new Committee of Observation boards the British tea ship London as it enters New York City's harbor and escorts it to the pier. In the evening a mob boards the ship and dumps £2,000 worth of tea in the harbor.
Apr 23
The public gathers in New York City to celebrate the tea party.
June
New York's city surveyor Gerard Bancker and Colles take elevation readings from Fresh Water (the Collect) to the liberty pole on upper Broadway (near today's city hall).
Jun 11
Governor William Tryon issues a report on the province of New York.
Jun 12
The Friendship, captained by Thomas Jann, arrives in Philadelphia bringing 106 Scots immigrants, many of them indentured servants.
Jun 30
The Friendship servants are advertised in New York newspapers.
Jul 21
The New York city council votes, 8-2, to proceed with Colles's water plan and, unanimously, to issue £2,500 in promissory notes to pay for the project.
August
The New York council agrees to purchase part of land owned by Augustus and Frederick Van Cortlandt, if good water can be found. Colles sinks a well, finds acceptable water. He's given the go-ahead to enlarge the well and the city soon purchases 1.75 acres of the land. Near the end of the month the council orders £2,500 in bank notes from engraver Elisha Gallaudet, the first currency issued by an American city. ** Captain Lindsay of East Greenwich, Rhode Island, returns from New York City with new arms for town’s Light Artillery company.
Aug 5
Notes are issued by New York City to finance the Colles waterworks.
Aug 6
Shaker (Shaking Quaker) movement founder Mother Ann Lee arrives in New York from Liverpool, England, along with eight disciples.
September
New York City advertises for bids to supply pipes for the new water system.
November
New York City signs a contract for the manufacture of water pipes with the firm owned by Isaac Manns senior and junior, of Stillwater, New York.
City
Local residents force a merchant to remove 16 sheep from his vessel before permitting it to sail to the West Indies, to comply with Article 7 of the Association. ** A group of English Shakers arrive. In two years they will move upstate to Albany County to become the Watervliet Society. ** John Jay is elected to the conservative Committee of Fifty-One, formed to combat the threat of anarchy. ** An estimated 3,000 households get their water from the Tea Water Pump near the eastern outlet of Fresh Water Pond (The Collect). ** Lewis Morris and John Sickles are granted permission by the city and the colonial Assembly to join their Westchester and Manhattan properties by a bridge; the first planned over the lower Harlem River. It is never built.
Education
Loyalist King's College president Myles Cooper publishes the pamphlet A Friendly Address to all Reasonable Americans, anonymously.
New Jersey
The local committee in Newark recommends a boycott of the loyalist New York City newspaper Rivington’s Gazette
© 2012 David Minor / Eagles Byte
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