Saturday, July 4, 2026, will mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Since then, Philadelphia, and to a similar degree, Boston, have woven their roles as centers of the American Revolution into a strong civic identity. In contrast, New York City has preferred to look forward and downplay its history during that tumultuous period. However, the fact is that New York City played a decisive role in the formation of a new country. This week, For the Record tells the story of New York during the Revolution.
The “Missing” Common Council Records of the Revolutionary War
The New York City Municipal Archives has an almost unbroken[1] set of records depicting City governance from 1653, when the city of New Amsterdam first received its charter, until 2013 when Mayor Michael Bloomberg left office. The one notable gap is from May 24, 1776 until February 10, 1784. These eight years, of course, cover an important time period because, on July 2nd, 1776 the Continental Congress declared independence from the British and the British fleet arrived in New York shortly thereafter. Researchers often wonder: “Where are the records of New York City government during the Revolutionary War? Were they destroyed?” Well the short answer is, there was no city government.