Memorial Day, that entry gate to summer, is upon us. As barbecues and beaches abound this weekend, do take a moment to think about the reason for our free time: a day dedicated to the country's fallen soldiers. Memorial Day began after the American Civil War to honor slain Union and Confederate soldiers. As such, we thought it'd be a good time to think about sites of battle, uprising, and contention across our (for now, at least) fair-weather city that have unfolded in the past 250 years. Did you know that Lower Manhattan was, for a time, controlled by the British during the Revolutionary War? Or that General George Washington defeated the British, outnumbered by their 5,000 soldiers to America's 1,800-strong corps, just to the west of where Columbia University stands today in Morningside Heights? If we missed any, chime in below, in the comments section, or let us know.
Research by Hannah Frishberg
· Curbed Maps archive [Curbed]
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