Hercules Mulligan

The men's fashion of the 1770s was quite dainty, especially if you were of a higher social class. A Manhattan tailor was mostly sewing woolen coats, waistcoats, and breeches, while our informer/outfitter on 23 Queen Street also stitched scarlet uniforms of King's men, most commonly known as 'red coats'. Now, imagine how easy was to spot a British soldier wearing the loudest possible color. By the way, a pair of silk breeches cost £2, while a satin-lined velvet suit set you back £38 (that's $330 and $6,500 in today's money).

November 25, 1783, was the day the struggle for independence led to. On that fateful Tuesday, the British Army finally left New York. They, however, nailed their flag to a flagpole on the Battery and greased the pole, but American soldiers managed to pull down the prank of defiance and triumphantly replaced the flag with the glorious Stars and Stripes. Buh-bye, Brits!

The Spirit de jour of the time was Caribbean Rum, while Whiskey was already gaining popularity. A couple of Founding Fathers even had their own distilleries with George Washington producing over 10,000 gallons of Whiskey and Brandy every year. On average, Americans drank five gallons of distilled Spirits per year after the war ended. The first distillery in New York was founded in 1640 by the Dutch settlers who produced a new-world version of their grain-based Gin. Soon, a merry tavern culture boomed.

18th century New York was not the sprawling loud metropolis we know today. By 1776, the population was about 25 thousand souls, most of which were crowded near the East River wharves and the New York Harbor. The main industries were milling, trading, and shipbuilding. Henry Knox, future Secretary of War to George Washington, described the city as magnificent but lamented that there was too much greed, pride, profaneness, and loose morals. In short, a fun town.