The British are Coming
Before Lexington and Concord, the population of New York was approximately 25,000 people. Once word of Lexington and Concord reached New York, people started to fear that what happened to Boston would now happen to New York. This led to a major exodus from New York. One-third of New York's population had left by September of 1775. By July 1776, the population had dropped to approximately 5,000. Those who stayed faced dangerous conditions.
By that summer, New York was preparing for a British attack. George Washington was training his army and trying to whip them into shape, and by April of 1776, he arrived in New York from Cambridge, Massachusetts, and started preparing to defend the city against British forces, especially those that would
arrive by sea. The New York campaign began with the arrival of General Howe and the British troops in late June/Early July. By August, the Battle of Long Island began, and by September, George Washington had retreated.
Next Month- The first discussions of Independence at the Second Continental Congress
