Category Archives: Broadsides
Free of an Empire, by Way of an Empress
This posting was written by Dael Norwood, a Bernard & Irene Schwartz Postdoctoral Fellow at the New-York Historical Society. On February 22, 1784, a small ship with big ambitions weighed anchor, and sailed down the East River. Commanded by John Green, the Empress of China left New York on George Washington’s birthday aiming to be [...]
“Are and henceforward shall be free”: Marking the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation
If you’ve been preoccupied with the “fiscal cliff” saga over the last several days, you may have missed a rather significant milestone. 150 years ago yesterday, on January 1, 1863, Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation freed slaves in all rebellious states, enacting what has been described as, behind the Declaration of the United States, perhaps “the single [...]
From Kilted Soldiers to Scottish Poets–The New York Caledonian Club
This post was written by N-YHS intern Alison Shore Dundy. The recently acquired New York Caledonian Club Records (MS 2923) are a gateway to gemstones from the history of Scottish immigrants in New York City. The records of the Caledonian Club document the work, activities, and membership of this society dedicated to the preservation of [...]
Old Ironsides Earns Her Nickname: The USS Constitution versus HMS Guerriere
Post written by Mariam Touba, Reference Librarian The logbook’s entry for the morning, 200 years ago, of August 19, 1812 records hazy weather, temperature 64° in the air and a similar 65° in water. By “3/4 past 11 am” the weather is cloudy with fresh breezes, so the mizzen topsail is set. And then it [...]
The Serious Side of Drinking: Political Toasts
Tippling is mainly a recreational sport today, but beer was an important source of nutrition in colonial New York. And alcohol also played a role in early American politics, through the time-honored ritual of drinking toasts. In 18th century America, nearly every public occasion ended with a score of ceremonial drinks and toasts. Verbatim transcripts [...]
Currier & Currier & Ives? a tribute to Charles Currier
To most people, Currier & Ives are locked together like love and marriage (in the song, at least) — as Frank Sinatra sings, “you can’t have one, you can’t have none, you can’t have one without the other.” In fact, though, Nathaniel Currier was a successful lithographer long before James Merritt Ives joined the business [...]
Carriers’ Addresses: The Holiday Gratuity, With a Little Flair
Written by Mariam Touba, Reference Librarian It still happens at this time of year, a holiday greeting is slipped under the door from a service provider offering good wishes and a subtle hint to be remembered with an end-of-the-year gratuity. The practice is an old one, but was, in the 18th and 19th centuries, carried [...]
Occupying Manhattan’s Public Spaces: 1776 and Today
Post written by Eric Robinson. Love it or hate it, the forlorn but determined group camped out at Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan thrust New York City back into the center of a national debate. Our city has long been considered a political outlier because of its progressive voting patterns and ability to weather recessions, [...]
