Hello, history friends! We're going to talk about 1770. Now, if you're super good with remembering dates, you're probably thinking about events in March. If you're not great with dates, you're probably just grateful that the number is closer to 1776 than any of the 1760's dates.
Remember how a few episodes ago, we talked about the Liberty Pole? I explained how they were used to host broadsides and pretty much smack talk back and forth between the Sons of Liberty and the British soldiers. One of these was shaming business owners who hired the soldiers- those soldiers were allowed to take jobs on their off duty time and since they were already being paid nicely by the Crown, they were willing to work for cheaper than the New York citizens. That made the New Yorkers pretty mad. One of the broadsides by the British soldiers was a glorified "let me play my tiny violin" poem that tried to make the Sons of Liberty the bad guys.
I also hinted to the fact that those soldiers kept cutting down the pole and those Sons of Liberty kept building them up again. We're talking specifically about he one in New York here.
At this point in our story, we're on the FOURTH Liberty Pole. This one was built in 1767. The Sons of Liberty were pretty serious about it, since they used iron bands to secure it. Not that the Redcoats didn't TRY to destroy it- they actually tried to blow it up. Other than that, all was fine and dandy for a few years.
At the end of 1769, New York finally decided that they'd put a little bit of money towards the Quartering Act (they had been told they weren't allowed to enact any laws or have any authority until they finally conceded to the housing arrangement). In response, The Sons of Liberty posted a broadside called "To the Betrayed Inhabitants of the City and Colony of New York." They were mad that New York agreed to pay the money, but apparently, the soldiers didn't feel like New York was putting forth enough money to keep them happy. Now, my sources say that the pole could be seen from the barracks, so it was kind of taunting them daily. But the pole could ALSO be seen from the Sons of Liberty's favorite tavern.
Anyway, by the beginning of 1770, The soldiers were over it. They decided it was time for the pole to come down. They put holes in the pole and filled them with gunpowder. Now, the tavern I told you about was run by Benjamin Montanye, who was one of the Sons of Liberty. Someone else saw the soldiers at work and that guy (Captain White) was threatened at bayonet point not to sound the alarm.
Like I said, though, the pole was outside Montanye's tavern and inevitably, someone saw the shenanigans and a bit of fire. They hollered out the alarm, the soldiers barged in and threatened everyone and beat a guy. (Side note, the fire was supposed to ignite the gunpowder, but it didn't work).
They didn't stop for long, though. A couple of days later, they were successful in damaging the pole. It took them all night to get it down. This is actually where the broadside banter happened back and forth. On Jan 19, things got physical. Isaac Sears and Walter Quackenbos (I did not make that up, I promise) "arrested" some guys who were putting up the broadsides and handing out handbills. They got in a mini confrontation there- a soldier pulled a bayonet on our Patriot friends and Isaac Sears chucked a ram's horn at him. WHY he had a ram's horn.... I do not know. What would you use that for on a daily basis? So the Sons of Liberty hauled these guys to the Mayor's house at the same time Sir Ramshorntothehead went and let the other Redcoats know what was going on.
By this time a whole bunch of people heard the commotion and gathered in the streets to see what was going on. The soldiers wanted to free their friends and the Mayor was waiting for backup, essentially. Weapons were drawn on the soldier's side and the Yankees started grabbing whatever they could. They headed up Golden Hill (weird to think NYC had a place that looked golden in the sun because of the stuff planted there). There was more taunting, more grabbing anything you could for a weapon and they both went at it.
I told you that I don't know much about the Quakers except that they like peace- ironically enough, the first person really injured was a Quaker man named Francis Field. He was legit just standing in his doorway waiting for the fray to pass, or maybe coming out to see what all the hullabaloo was about. He got a bayonet slice to the cheek and was actually super lucky he didn't get stabbed. Another guy DID get bayonetted... is that word? He received a bayonet stab and they were worried he might die for a minute.
There were reports that a couple of lobsterbacks (old Colonial insults, I did not make them up) followed a kid into a house and ended up doing some damage there- a mam a bear was inside and took the brunt of the physical damage, but there was a papa bear, too, who put an end to the violence of his family real quick! FTR- I don't know if the people inside were these kids actual parents, but I'm saying, the instinct when someone is chasing a kid with a cutlass is going to turn ANY good adult into a Mama or Papa bear, I would hope.
Unrelated side note, I really want to put images here on the blogposts so you can see the maps and the broadsides and at other times the images of the people I'm talking about, but I'm not sure the rules on stuff like that. Anybody happen to know? I don't want to steal people's images, but a bunch of this has got to be in the public domain, right? I mean, all this happened over 200 years ago...... Please LMK if you know the answer.
Anyway, back to our story. They kept having little skirmishes the rest of the evening, but eventually went to bed. Apparently they were more than just tired, though, because it picked up again the next morning. A soldier tried to stab a lady doing her shopping (luckily, the bayonet only went through her cloak). The mayor tried to run away, but it didn't work. The soldiers came to free the two men. Patriots were actually letting them until one of the soldiers grabbed either a stick or a sword (most likely a stick) from one of the colonists standing there, which brought another round of fighting.
So there you go. Nobody was actually killed, which is probably why nobody really knows about this- it's just not as dramatic as the Boston Massacre. But I mean, c'mon! A two day battle! This kind of thing is why I'm doing my podcast. All these things that I had legit never heard about before.
Next episode, we'll go back to Boston and rehash all the stuff you've learned about your whole life, but for now- let all this New York stuff sink in. Oh! And the Liberty Pole stood until the British took New York. They never did put a new one up, but there's a plaque where it stood. Apparently you can do a tour in New York that is guided by a guy being Alexander Hamilton. Kind of funny, since he was not in the country yet, but I love the idea of taking tours by people cosplaying as founding fathers.
Ok! I'm going to tell you about this idea that I wish someone could actually make happen. If you only came here for history stories, you should push stop now because I'm about to turn full on geek, k?
You've been warned. Alright, so I LOVE history, as you know. And I LOVE all things geek. I desperately wish someone would put on a History Con. Before you roll your eyes, pictures this!!! The "celebs" are cosplayers who know their character so freaking well that they can be considered experts, right? You could have individual panels and group panels "Civil war panel at 3:15 in the ballroom, Revolutionary War Hymn Sing Along in room 201-C at 4:15." Do you see where I'm going with this? Truth be told, the only Con I've ever been to is FanX in Salt Lake (which, you should definitely go to- it's amazing), but I would SO take a photo with George Washington. Probably not with Thomas Jefferson unless I got a good deal on the "Declaration Team" photo. You could have characters from ALL over the calendar. Have some Ancient Egyptians, New Testament characters, Incas, Aztecs, Indigenous Tribes- ALL OF THEM!! Obviously not everyone would be able to be there every year, you'd just have to get excited at who was announced. It's a good thing that planning events falls into the "that would be nice, but it's never happening" side of my talent list, because otherwise, this is all my poor family would hear about. So, if you know someone who can make this happen- let's do it friends.
Ok, off my soapbox. Have a good day ya'll.
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