Long Island and the American Revolution

The Long Island experience during the American Revolution was an interesting one. During the war, New York City and Long Island served as Great Britain's base of military operations. Those who favored independence- whigs or patriots- were forced to flee while those who wanted the continuance of British rule, torries, could stay after pledging an oath of allegiance.

Many colonists throughout the British Americas shared a disgust of the treatment they received from the British government. Colonists lacked representation in the Parliament and therefore were subject to whatever laws affected them. With the Navigation Acts, British merchants enjoyed a monopoly over the profits involved with the importation and exportation of goods. When the townsend duties and various acts, such as the stamp, hat and tea acts, began taxing common goods, those living in the British American colonies were angered. As the 1770's progressed the colonists found different ways to express their disapproval with the Crown, culminating in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence. War was imminent.

Despite the traditional image of the relationship between whigs and torries in and around New York City being portrayed as hostile, Judith Van Buskirk has showed in her work Generous Enemies that these once neighbors who differed in political opinion actually continued to maintain peaceful correspondence. People often crossed enemy lines to visit family, help loved ones in need, make business transactions and exchange political and military information. Even a war would not get in the way of family and friends keeping up relations. Also, war time brought economic hardships for many, especially for those from Long Island who had to move from their homes, and the governments involved were not equipped to help the citizens and conduct a war. Therefore, citizens continued to make business transactions with those they had before war, even if the other party differed in political thought.

Another interesting aspect to this region was the accessibility women obtained to the public domain. Women were exempt from political activities before the war so their maneuverability across enemy lines was much easier. Those patrolling the borders assumed women were only traveling across enemy lines to see loved ones. Men took advantage of this and utilized women throughout the war to gather and exchange political and military information.

Although women in and around New York City enjoyed a larger availability to the public domain thanks to the conditions presented by the War for Independence, their ability to engage in political and military experiences usually benefited by only men were stripped from them when the British troops left for the homeland. However, the impact these experiences had on women altered the course in which the history of women in the United States would progress.

This topic will be expanded on in my next column, Blue Point and the American Revolution.