Editing Manhattan (section)

===American Revolution{{anchor|18th century}}===
{{Further|American Revolution}}
[[File:George Washington Statue at Federal Hall.JPG|thumb|upright|[[Statue of George Washington (Wall Street)|Statue]] of [[George Washington]] in front of [[Federal Hall]] on [[Wall Street]], where in 1789 he was sworn in as the [[Presidency of George Washington|first U.S. president]].<ref>{{cite web|title=The Inauguration of George Washington, 1789 |url=http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/washingtoninaug.htm |publisher=Ibis Communications, Inc |work=Eyewitness to History |date=2005|access-date=January 6, 2013|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130110000045/http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/washingtoninaug.htm|archive-date=January 10, 2013}}</ref>]]

Manhattan was at the heart of the [[New York and New Jersey campaign|New York Campaign]], a series of major battles in the early stages of the [[American Revolutionary War]]. The [[Continental Army]] was forced to abandon Manhattan after the [[Battle of Fort Washington]] on November 16, 1776.<ref>[https://www.battlefields.org/learn/revolutionary-war/battles/fort-washington Fort Washington], [[American Battlefield Trust]]. Accessed November 30, 2023. "Fought on November 16, 1776 on the island of Manhattan, the Battle of Fort Washington was the final devastating chapter in General Washington's disastrous New York Campaign.... At 3:00 P.M., after a fruitless attempt to gain gentler surrender terms for his men, Magaw surrendered Fort Washington and its 2,800 surviving defenders to the British."</ref> The city, greatly damaged by the [[Great Fire of New York (1776)|Great Fire of New York]] during the campaign, became the British military and political center of operations in North America for the remainder of the war.<ref>[http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=8258 Fort Washington Park] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090708181253/http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_your_park/historical_signs/hs_historical_sign.php?id=8258 |date=July 8, 2009 }}, [[New York City Department of Parks and Recreation]]. Accessed May 18, 2007.</ref> British occupation lasted until November 25, 1783, when [[George Washington]] returned to Manhattan, a day celebrated as [[Evacuation Day (New York)|Evacuation Day]], marking when the last British forces left the city.<ref>Axelson, Erik Peter.[http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_newsroom/daily_plants/daily_plant_main.php?id=19733 "Happy Evacuation Day"] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081005121859/http://www.nycgovparks.org/sub_newsroom/daily_plants/daily_plant_main.php?id=19733 |date=October 5, 2008 }}, [[New York City Department of Parks and Recreation]], November 23, 2005. Accessed December 24, 2023. "During the Revolutionary War, New York City was occupied by British forces (from September 15, 1776 to November 25, 1783). For generations afterward, New Yorkers celebrated its repatriation from the British as Evacuation Day."</ref>

From January 11, 1785, until 1789, New York City was the fifth of five [[List of capitals in the United States|capitals of the United States]] under the [[Articles of Confederation]], with the [[Continental Congress]] meeting at [[New York City Hall]] (then at [[Fraunces Tavern]]).<ref>[https://declaration.fas.harvard.edu/blog/january-superintending-1 "January Highlight: Superintending Independence, Part 1"], [[Harvard University]] Declaration Resources Project, January 4, 2017. Accessed December 24, 2023. "From January 11, 1785 through 1789, the Congress of the Confederation met in New York City, at City Hall (which later became Federal Hall) and at Fraunces Tavern."</ref> New York was the first capital under the newly enacted [[United States Constitution|Constitution of the United States]], from March 4, 1789, to August 12, 1790, at [[Federal Hall]].<ref>[https://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_item/Nine_Capitals_of_the_United_States.htm The Nine Capitals of the United States] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160320084755/https://www.senate.gov/reference/reference_item/Nine_Capitals_of_the_United_States.htm |date=March 20, 2016 }}. [[United States Senate]] Historical Office. Accessed June 9, 2005. Based on Fortenbaugh, Robert, ''The Nine Capitals of the United States'', York, Pennsylvania: Maple Press, 1948...</ref> Federal Hall was where the [[United States Supreme Court]] met for the first time,<ref>{{cite web|title=Birthplace of American Government|url=http://www.nps.gov/feha/index.htm|website=[[National Park Service]] |access-date=September 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912063959/http://www.nps.gov/feha/index.htm|archive-date=September 12, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> the [[United States Bill of Rights]] were drafted and ratified,<ref name=cwf>{{cite web|last1=Lynch|first1=Jack |title=Debating the Bill of Rights|url=http://www.history.org/Foundation/journal/Winter09/rights.cfm|website=[[Colonial Williamsburg Foundation]] |access-date=September 21, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140705233009/http://history.org/Foundation/journal/Winter09/rights.cfm |archive-date=July 5, 2014|url-status=live}}</ref> and where the [[Northwest Ordinance]] was adopted, establishing measures for [[admission to the Union]] of new states.<ref>[https://www.nps.gov/feha/learn/hc.htm History & Culture: Federal Hall National Memorial], [[National Park Service]]. Accessed November 30, 2023. "After the American Revolution, the Continental Congress met at City Hall and, in 1787, adopted the Northwest Ordinance, establishing procedures for creating new states."</ref>