Fire and Freedom

More than two hundred and fifty years after the revolution began, Fire and Freedom invites readers to rediscover America's journey to independence. Showcasing New York's central role in the revolution, Fire and Freedom highlights the stories of people and events previously hidden from popular view, unveiling a new vision of this famous narrative. Many of the revolution's key moments can be traced to New York: city crowds rioted against colonial taxation and George Washington spent one-third of the war in and around the soon-to-be "Empire State." Beyond these well-known players and moments, however, lies a trove of new information on New York's hidden revolutionary stories. With a foreword by acclaimed historian Russell Shorto and seven fascinating chapters on a range of subjects, we see that events off the battlefield—a strategic retreat, a destructive fire, and displays of independence—were just as meaningful as the fighting itself. State power and politics redefined conceptions of loyalty and allegiance. The resistance and agency of Indigenous and enslaved populations shaped New York's postwar era. These diverse stories are tied together by the defining war, but they stretch far beyond its confines and even further beyond our common understandings. By providing a more comprehensive look into New York's influence on the era, the contributors to this book expand and evolve the meaning and significance of the revolution. Exciting and insightful, Fire and Freedom is a must-read addition to the great revolutionary saga.