Today is Evacuation Day. What is it? On November 25, 1783, the British ended its occupation of New York City--which it captured from George Washington's Continental Army in 1776 in a series of battles.
Washington would've preferred to win the city back in battle--he was planning an invasion of northern Manhattan when the opportunity to trap--with the help of the French Navy--General Cornwallis' redcoats at Yorktown was presented to him.
The British left in a bad way. Soldiers nailed a Union Jack on a flag pole--and greased it to make it as difficult as possible for New Yorkers to remove it.
General Washington returned to the city the same day, and a little more than a week later, gave an emotional farewell to his officers in a New York tavern.
Some British troops remained in remote forts in the Northwest Territory.
It wouldn't be until 2001 that New York would be attacked again.
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