News and events in Lower Manhattan
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Volume 6, No. 74, July 4, 2023 | |
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CONTENTS:
Letter From the Editor: July 4, 1804
Lower Manhattan Theater: 'The Democracy Project' at Federal Hall
Bulletin Board: Digital guide to Hudson River Park; Seport Museum collection online
Calendar: July 4 fireworks
For the latest weather info: www.weather.gov/okx/.
Go to www.DowntownPostNYC.com for breaking news and for updated information on facility closures related to COVID-19
MASTHEAD PHOTO: A little girl aboard Hornblower Hybrid,waiting for the fireworks to start. July 4, 2015 (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR: JULY 4, 1804 | |
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Terese Loeb Kreuzer
Editor of Downtown Post NYC
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July 4, 1804, New York City: Alexander Hamilton would have well remembered what happened on July 4, 1776. It was a Thursday. Though 28 years had passed since then, on July 4, 1804 the events of that day and of succeeding days were undoubtedly still fresh in his mind.
Although he wasn't a member of the Second Continental Congress, he would have come to know that on July 2nd, the delegates meeting in Philadelphia, had voted in favor of a resolution put forward by Henry Lee, a delegate from Virginia, calling for independence from Great Britain. It passed with a near-unanimous vote (the New York delegation abstained, but later voted affirmatively). On July 4th, the Continental Congress formally adopted the Declaration of Independence. On July 9, a copy of the Declaration of Independence was delivered to George Washington’s headquarters at 1 Broadway in what is now Lower Manhattan.
Washington ordered several of the city brigades to gather on the Common (now City Hall Park) that evening for a public reading of the Declaration. His orders from that day stated that “The General hopes this important event will serve as fresh incentive to every officer and soldier to act with fidelity and courage as knowing that now [the] peace and safety of his country depends (under God) solely on the success of our arms.”
After the reading, a mob of New Yorkers charged down Broadway to tear down the gilded statue of King George III astride a horse that lorded it over what is now Bowling Green park.
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A statue of Alexander Hamilton was formerly on exhibit at the Museum of American Finance on Wall Street in Manhattan. Until 2018, the museum was housed in a former branch of the Bank of New York, which Hamilton founded. (Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer) | |
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Where was Hamilton on July 9? He was probably among those who heard the Declaration of Independence read in New York City for the first time. By then he had quit his studies at King's College (later known as Columbia University) having drilled with a volunteer company of militia, and in March 1776 having been made captain of an artillery company. He was 19 years old.
But on July 4, 1804 he was in Lower Manhattan, perhaps in his law office or in his town house, thinking about his upcoming duel with Aaron Burr. He was writing to his wife, Eliza, who was at The Grange, their country house in Harlem Heights. His letter has been preserved in the Library of Congress. A copy exists in the Rare Book & Manuscript Library of Columbia University. This is what he wrote:
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This letter, my very dear Eliza, will not be delivered to you, unless I shall first have terminated my earthly career; to begin, as I humbly hope from redeeming grace and divine mercy, a happy immortality.
If it had been possible for me to have avoided the interview, my love for you and my precious children would have been alone a decisive motive. But it was not possible, without sacrifices which would have rendered me unworthy of your esteem. I need not tell you of the pangs I feel, from the idea of quitting you and exposing you to the anguish which I know you would feel. Nor could I dwell on the topic lest it should unman me.
The consolations of Religion, my beloved, can alone support you; and these you have a right to enjoy. Fly to the bosom of your God and be comforted. With my last idea; I shall cherish the sweet hope of meeting you in a better world.
Adieu best of wives and best of Women. Embrace all my darling Children for me.
Ever yours
A H
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Statues of Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr facing each other with dueling pistols were on exhibit at the Museum of American Finance on Wall Street in Manhattan. Burr mortally wounded Hamilton on July 11, 1804. Hamilton died the next day.
(Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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On July 4, 1804, Alexander Hamilton had just one week and one day more to live.
An experienced soldier and a trained marksman, Hamilton could have wounded or killed Aaron Burr in the duel that they fought in Weehawken, New Jersey early on the morning of July 10. Hamilton chose not to. He deliberately threw his first shot away. Burr had no such compunctions and from all accounts, had no regrets. He shot Hamilton in the abdomen, creating what Hamilton immediately knew to be a fatal wound.
Eliza Hamilton survived her husband by 50 years and spent much of the rest of her life defending his memory. He is buried on the south side of Trinity Churchyard. She is buried at his feet.
— Terese Loeb Kreuzer
Editor, Downtown Post NYC
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Alexander Hamilton's Farewell Letter to His Wife Eliza, July 4, 1804 | |
Downtown Post NYC's website (www.DowntownPostNYC.com) is updated daily. That's the place to check for urgent messages, breaking news and reminders of interesting events in and around Lower Manhattan. So be sure to look at the website every day, especially if you want to know about breaking news.
HOW TO SUPPORT DOWNTOWN POST NYC: I made Downtown Post NYC free to subscribers so that no one who was interested in reading it would be excluded because of cost. Downtown Post NYC is largely supported by advertising revenue. In addition, some people have made contributions, which are much appreciated. For more information about how to contribute or advertise, email editor@downtownpostnyc.com.
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Lower Manhattan Theater
THE FOUNDING FATHERS, THEIR SPOUSES AND THEIR SLAVES ARE
BACK AT FEDERAL HALL IN A PLAY CALLED 'THE DEMOCRACY PROJECT'
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The current Federal Hall at the intersection of Wall and Broad Streets was completed in 1842 as a Customs House. It replaced New York City's Town Hall where George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States on April 30, 1789.
(Photo: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer 2008)
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A notice on the Federal Hall National Monument website reads as follows:
The Democracy Project is a journey through the first of the 527 momentous days when New York City was the first capital of the revolutionary United States government. The presidency was new, the slave trade was in debate, and the Constitution — and the rights of all this land’s inhabitants — hung in the balance.
George Washington struggles to define his presidency; James Madison presents the Bill of Rights; Muscogee (Creek) Chief Alexander McGillivray maneuvers to preserve his nation’s land by signing the first international treaty with the United States; and Ona Judge, a woman enslaved by Martha Washington, sees through the Quaker petitions to end the slave trade. Featuring original songs, The Democracy Project follows a modern-day narrator through the history of Federal Hall on Wall Street, probing the choices of our Founders and how their actions still reverberate through America, many years after “We the People.”
The Democracy Project was written by WGA Award winner Tanya Barfield (Hulu’s “Mrs. America”); Pulitzer Prize finalist Lisa D’Amour (Detroit); MacArthur Genius Grant recipient Larissa FastHorse (The Thanksgiving Play); Obie Award winner Melissa James Gibson (“House of Cards”); Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Michael R. Jackson (A Strange Loop); and Tony Award and Pulitzer Prize winner Bruce Norris (Clybourne Park).
Directed by Tamilla Woodard (Weightless; Chair, Acting Program, Yale’s David Geffen School of Drama) and Tai Thompson (Dark Star from Harlem), The Democracy Project is running at Federal Hall through July 22. All performances are free and open to the public. Tickets can be reserved in advance by clicking here.
The New York Times reviewed the production as follows:
"‘The Democracy Project’ Puts America Onstage, Warts and All," New York Times, 6/30/2023. "Tourists who pause outside Federal Hall, a Wall Street memorial maintained by the U.S. National Park Service, will find its neoclassical facade covered in scaffolding. Its front steps, which host a bronze statue of George Washington, are occluded, too. But until July 22, the man himself can be found inside, fussing over his dentures, his sleep and his coming inauguration," says The New York Times. "George (Tom Nelis) and Martha (Erin Anderson) are characters in 'The Democracy Project,' a collaboration among five playwrights and two directors with a song composed by Michael R. Jackson. Commissioned by Federal Hall, the 45-minute site-specific performance, offered free of charge in the hall’s grand Greek Revival rotunda, is both a pageant-style survey of significant events at the site and an informed critique. Yes, George and Martha are here, but so too are Billy Lee (Nathan Hinton), an enslaved man owned by Washington, and Ona Judge, an enslaved woman owned by his wife, as well as Alexander McGillivray, the Creek chief who signed the Treaty of New York, a short-lived agreement of 'peace and friendship,' as its text claims, between the Indigenous people and the fledgling nation." For the complete article, click here.
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To reserve tickets to "The Democracy Project," click here. | |
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Bulletin Board
DIGITAL GUIDE TO HUDSON RIVER PARK; EXPANDED SOUTH STREET SEAPORT MUSEUM COLLECTION ONLINE; BATTERY DANCE RETURNS
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The 42nd Annual Battery Dance Festival will take place from Aug. 12 to Aug.18 in Rockefeller Park and will feature 42 local, national and international companies. For more information, including the full list of performers, click here. To register for free, receive livestream links, reminders and bonus content for every day of the Festival, click here.
(Photo: Douglas Dunn + Dancers performed “Aidos” at the Battery Dance Festival. Aug. 13, 2018 © Terese Loeb Kreuzer)
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Digital Guide to Hudson River Park: Explore Hudson River Park with a Digital Guide
created for the Bloomberg Connects app. Bloomberg Connects is a free arts and culture app that describes things to see and do at the Park on dozens of piers, docks, landscapes and fields. It goes beneath the surface of the Hudson River to examine the 400-acre Estuarine Sanctuary. It also includes the history of Greenwich Village, Hudson River Park's Tribeca Habitat Enhancement, Little Island and historic Pier 57. In addition to new audio tours, the app has an interactive map. For the digital guide to Hudson River Park, click here.
South Street Seaport Museum Collection online: The South Street Seaport Museum’s free Collections Online Portal now features over 3,500 pieces on virtual display, allowing audiences from around the globe to explore New York City’s past through the archives, artifacts and photographs of the South Street Seaport Museum. In addition to the newspaper clippings, the latest update, released this week, also includes 150 paintings covering a variety of historical subjects and themes relating to the growth of New York City as a world port. This searchable database features selected items from the Museum’s permanent and working collections of over 60,000 items, encapsulating the rich maritime heritage of New York City. Whether you’re a friend of the Museum browsing casually from home or a researcher investigating a topic, you can explore the ever-growing Collections Online Portal at your leisure. For more information, click here.
Battery Dance Festival seeks volunteers: Want to be a part of New York’s longest running outdoor public dance festival? The Battery Dance Festival is looking for volunteers to join its team from August 12 to August 18. Email festival@batterydance.org with any questions or to sign up.
Fulton Stall Market farm shares: The Fulton Stall Market at 91 South St. in the South Street Seaport is offering fresh, local food sourced directly from farmers and local producers. This program of CSA shares (Community Supported Agriculture) helps farmers by giving them a guaranteed market for their work and it helps consumers by delivering high quality food at a reasonable price. The program runs from June 22 to Sept. 14 but it's possible to join at any time on a prorated basis. The products included in each food delivery may consist of summer vegetables, summer fruit, sprouts, eggs, mushrooms, farmstead cheese, charcuterie, bread, fresh pasta, seafood, chicken, beef and pork and more. When they sign up for the program, customers choose which products they want to purchase. Customers must come to the Fulton Stall Market to pick up their food. For information on the suppliers and on the cost of their products, click here. For answers to questions about the program contact the CSA manager, Zigi Lowenberg, who can be reached at zigi.fsm@gmail.com.
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Some of the Downtown Post NYC bulletin board listings are now on the Downtown Post NYC website. To see the bulletin board listings, click here.
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To see the events and activities on the Battery Park City Authority's summer calendar, click here. Most events are free. For some, reservations are required. | |
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CALENDAR
Spotlight: July 4 Fireworks
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Last year on July 4, I was aboard Manhattan By Sail's Clipper City and took pictures of the fireworks from the East River with the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building in the background. I won't be able to see the fireworks this year.
(Photos: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer 2022)
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Fireworks as seen from the East River with the Chrysler Building and the Empire State Building in the background. (Photos: © Terese Loeb Kreuzer 2022) | |
Downtown Post NYC is emailed to subscribers once a week.
Editor: Terese Loeb Kreuzer
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may not be reprinted or republished without written permission.
© 2023
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