Benjamin L. Carp discusses his book on the 1776 fire. As George Washington enters New York in the spring of 1776, he finds a politically fractured and largely depopulated city. Most residents had fled to avoid the coming conflict, leaving the town diminis

Benjamin L. Carp discusses his book on the 1776 fire. As George Washington enters New York in the spring of 1776, he finds a politically fractured and largely depopulated city. Most residents had fled to avoid the coming conflict, leaving the town diminished. Washington remains suspicious of loyalist pockets while the British Navy controls the harbor. The segment highlights rebel outrage following the British burning of Charles Town and Falmouth, setting a tense backdrop for the eventual Manhattan conflagration. (1)
1760