The Great New York Fire of 1776

Who set the mysterious fire that burned down much of New York City shortly after the British took the city during the Revolutionary War?

"An elegant, reader-friendly example of assiduously researched, carefully written American history that feels definitive."—Robert G. Kaiser, Washington Post

The Great New York Fire of 1776 by Benjamin L. Carp delves into this intriguing mystery set in New York City, the strategic centre of the Revolutionary War. In 1776, it was the most crucial location in North America. That summer, an unruly rebel army under George Washington repeatedly threatened to burn the city rather than allow the British to take it. Shortly after the Crown's forces took New York City, much of it mysteriously burned to the ground.

This is the first book to fully explore the Great Fire of 1776 and why its origins remained a mystery even after the British investigated it in 1776 and 1783. Uncovering stories of espionage, terror, and radicalism, Carp paints a vivid picture of the chaos, passions, and unresolved tragedies that define a historical moment we usually associate with "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."