The New York Conspiracy Trials of 1741

In 1741 New York, New York was one of the largest ports in British North America. (Zabin, 7) The Dutch founded New York in 1624. The Dutch founded New York to be used as a trading post named New Amsterdam. (Zabin, 7) The first slaves were brought to New York in 1626. As time progressed, elite whites moved inward, away from the water. The land near the water and ports was inhabited by poor whites, sailors and slaves. In 1741 there was a fear of slave revolts that would happen in the city. Since whites and slaves were living among each other in these small neighborhoods, the threat was imminent. During 1741, there were a series of fires in the city. These fires were all thought to be arson. The elite of New York thought the fires were being set by poor whites and slaves in an attempt to burn down the city and take over. Was there really a conspiracy or were the elite new Yorkers worried for no reason?
The idea of a conspiracy began in February 1741. Three slaves robbed a small shop in New York belonging to Rebecca Hogg, a white woman. The shop was located along the docks of the East River in NYC. A white sailor told the three slaves that the shop was stocked with different types of goods. The three slaves stole money, cloth, luxury goods, snuff boxes and jewelry. Out of the three slaves, two of them, Prince and Cuffee, brought their items home. The third slave Caesar (John Gwin) brought the items he stole to a dockside tavern owned by John and Sarah Hughson. The Hughson’s were known to break the law either by buying stolen goods or selling alcohol to slaves. The sailor who told the slaves about Hogg’s shop told the police where the slaves took their stolen goods to be held. They arrested Caesar and ...

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...e primary place people gathered for warmth, community, and conversation”. (Zabin, 26) The taverns in the poorer parts of the city were known as “Disorderly houses”. (Zabin, 26) These taverns usually had gambling, excessive drinking or interracial mixing. If New York officials found out that someone was running a disorderly house, the owner would be punished, whether it is by fine or whipping. (Zabin, 26) At the “disorderly houses”, authorities and the elite New Yorkers feared “plots of theft and rebellion would be hatched”. (Zabin, 26) Neighbors of the disorderly houses would accuse some taverns of being disorderly houses. During this time most of the elite new Yorkers were not okay with whites of any class interacting with blacks and slaves. For the taverns to allow the slaves to enter and be among white people at this time was condemned by the elite.