This Day Evacuation Day: NYC's Forgotten Holiday (1783)
Nov 20, 2025
In this discussion, historians Kellie Carter Jackson and Nicole Hemmer dive into the significance of Evacuation Day in 1783, marking the British departure from New York City. Kellie vividly describes the grim realities of life under British occupation, while Nicole explores the political stakes and the treatment of freed people. They recount the day’s poignant moments, including Washington's symbolic entry and the celebration at Francis Tavern. Ultimately, they reveal how Evacuation Day faded into the background, overshadowed by the rise of Thanksgiving.
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Manhattan Was Devastated By Occupation
- Manhattan endured years of brutal occupation, prison ships, and mass death that devastated the city's population and infrastructure.
- By 1783 New York was functionally destroyed: trees cut, courts closed, trash uncollected, and huge mortality among residents and prisoners.
Freedom Promises Created Postwar Tension
- Thousands of enslaved people sought freedom with the British, creating a legal and moral crisis after the war.
- The British largely honored freedom promises, while American leaders like George Washington pushed to reclaim formerly enslaved people.
Ceremony Hid A City In Ruins
- Evacuation Day was staged to symbolize the transfer of sovereignty with flags, ceremonies, and Washington marching in with civilian leaders.
- The greased flagpole and the contrast between polished British troops and ragged American soldiers highlighted the city's battered reality.