New York's Beginning
Crown v Zenger trial illustration New York was a cosmopolitan city and a strategic trading post. The city was known for its freedom of worship, and due to the libel trial of Peter Zenger, it was the cornerstone of the principle of freedom of the press. New York was even the base of operations during the French and Indian War.
After the French and Indian War, there was privateering and the slave trade vessels operating out of the harbor. The British imposed taxes on the colonists. Those taxes imposed by Parliament led to the rise of the Sons of Liberty. By 1775, the Sons of Liberty were harassing the Loyalists and planning to raid the Turtle Bay Depot. On July 20th, the Sons of Liberty conducted their raid, which gained them much-needed weaponry and supplies for taking action against the British. 
