Foley Square c. 1800

Foley Square c. 1800. . , Foley Square c. 1800 consists of a central medallion surrounded by four segments of three medallions., Central medallion: Map of Foley Square c. 1800 , Around the perimeter: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain Unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness., Segment One , Medallion One: Jan Teunizen – Windmolen , Dutch colonists continued their tradition of using wind power to grind grains into flour and meal. Surrounded by water, the island of Manhattan provided ideal conditions for windmills. , Medallion Two: Nieuw Amsterdam 1653-1664 , Medallion Three: Hendrick Hudson – Halve Maen , Hired in 1609 by the Dutch East India Company to find a shorter route to China and India, Henry Hudson found a great fur-trading region instead. The Dutch West India Company was created to profit from this discovery., Segment Two: , Medallion One: The Fugio Cent was the first official cent coined by the new United States in 1787. One side shows 13 linked rings representing the original 13 colonies. The other side has Benjamin Franklin’s motto, “Mind Your Business”. , Medallion Two: The Powder House 1728-1789 , Medallion Three: The town Powder House was located on a tiny spit of land between Collect and Little Collect Ponds, an Ideal storage place for explosives., Segment Three: , Medallion One: Hangings at the Powder House gibbet , An unsolved robbery and unexplained fires caused fears of a slave uprising in 1741. The resulting conspiracy trial put 32 enslaved men and 3 white colonists to death by hanging or burning, and exiled others. Medallion Two: The Panic of 1741 - The Great New York Conspiracy , Medallion Three: Burning at the stake , The Powder House gibbet was the site of the “Slave Conspiracy” executions by hanging. Executions by burning at the stake occurred further east on Magazine Street. Judge D. Horsmanden described the events in his journal., Segment Four: , Medallion One: George III, Pitt and Liberty - Liberty Pole 1766 , The first Liberty Pole was erected in 1766 on the Town Common to celebrate the repeal of the Stamp Act. More poles were erected to protest British dominion until the new nation was created in 1776. , Medallion Two: The American Revolutionary War 1775-1783 – The mustering of troops on The Commons , Medallion Three: Bridewell Prison , Built as a city prison in 1775, the Bridewell was used to imprison American revolutionaries during British occupation of the city. Ethan Allen, a revolutionary leader, was imprisoned in the New Gaol nearby.,