"The Battle of Golden Hill"

[Newsletter]

"The Battle of Golden Hill"
By: Ah1Tom

The Battle of Golden Hill occurred on January 19th, 1770, nearly two months before the Boston Massacre.

After the enactment of the Stamp Act in 1765, the New York Sons of Liberty emerged in opposition to the legislation, led by figures such as Isaac Sears, John Lamb, and Alexander McDougall. Despite the repeal of the Stamp Act, the Sons of Liberty persisted in their resistance to British policies perceived as infringing on their rights as Englishmen.

In 1766, British troops were stationed in New York City, intensifying tensions with the locals. The New York Assembly's refusal to provide funds and housing, as mandated by the 1765 Quartering Act, fueled the animosity. Adding fuel to the fire, the Sons of Liberty erected a Liberty Pole in "The Fields," later known as "The Commons" at the north end of Broadway. This act of defiance was a direct challenge to British authority, visible from the soldiers' barracks in The Fields. Over the years, the pole became a recurring symbol of resistance, repeatedly raised by patriot colonists after being taken down by soldiers.

Simultaneously, discontent was being expressed in circulated broadsides posted on the streets. In one instance, "Brutus," likely Alexander McDougall, questioned how city residents could employ off-duty soldiers meant to "enslave us," while local laborers suffered. The 16th Regiment of Foot's response criticized the Sons of Liberty for defaming the troops and acting as if freedom depended on "a piece of wood."

This backdrop set the stage for confrontation between the Liberty Boys and British troops, with the Liberty Poles at the center. After the soldiers felled the Liberty Pole for the fourth time, violence erupted on Golden Hill on January 19th. Colonials and British troopers clashed violently, with swords and bayonets drawn against knives and clubs. The brutal encounter, believed to have resulted in at least one fatality and numerous injuries, marked a savage episode.

On January 22nd, General Thomas Gage intervened to calm tensions, restricting his men's movements and ordering them to stay in quarters unless accompanied by a noncommissioned officer. In response, the city government, comprising both patriots and loyalists, declined to erect another liberty pole on the Common near the soldiers' barracks. Despite the compromise, Sears and the Sons of Liberty rejected the town's decision and defiantly erected a new liberty pole on a nearby lot on February 6, 1770.

The ceremonial event involved six horses hauling a tall pine mast through the streets of New York, adorned with a gilt vane bearing the word "Liberty." As before, the Sons of Liberty fortified the new pole with iron hoops and strips, embedding it twelve feet below the surface. This early episode of bloodshed in the American Revolution occurred six weeks before the Boston Massacre. Although the Manhattan site is unmarked, a commemorative liberty pole stands in City Hall Park, serving as a reminder of this pivotal event.