The John Batchelor Show

Benjamin L. Carp notes that in 1783, a formal British inquiry led by General Guy Carleton failed to reach a definitive conclusion on whether the fire was an accident or intentional design. The records of this inquiry were lost to official British archives for over a century. Over time, American historians and biographers sought to exonerate Washington, often downplaying the fire or blaming "bad apples" rather than a coordinated military plot. Despite the strong circumstantial evidence of rebel involvement, the event remains an unresolved chapter of the American Revolution, with both sides eventually letting the controversy fade in favor of diplomacy. (8)
1780

 Benjamin L. Carp explains how the British specifically targeted three rebel captains—Amos Fellows, Abraham Patton, and Abraham Van Dyk—suspecting them of arson. Patton, a member of Washington's spy network, allegedly confessed on the gallows, stating he died for liberty and had accomplices in the burning of New York. Washingtonnotably supported these men and their families, acknowledging their service. He famously remarked that "Providence" or an "honest fellow" had achieved the strategic goal of destroying the city, a task the Continental Army could not officially undertake due to orders from the civilian government in Congress. (7)
                          

Benjamin L. Carp explains how the British specifically targeted three rebel captains—Amos Fellows, Abraham Patton, and Abraham Van Dyk—suspecting them of arson. Patton, a member of Washington's spy network, allegedly confessed on the gallows, stating he died for liberty and had accomplices in the burning of New York. Washingtonnotably supported these men and their families, acknowledging their service. He famously remarked that "Providence" or an "honest fellow" had achieved the strategic goal of destroying the city, a task the Continental Army could not officially undertake due to orders from the civilian government in Congress. (7)
1776

Benjamin L. Carp describes the fierce information war that followed the fire as both sides vied for public and international opinion. Figures like Benjamin Franklin and Robert Morris worked to protect the American reputation by insisting the fire was accidental. Conversely, the British used local newspapers to brand the rebels as arsonists and criminals. Curiously, formal correspondence between Generals Washington and Howe largely avoided the topic of the fire. This silence may reflect a "gentlemanly" code of the era, where neither commander wished to level such grave accusations without irrefutable proof, despite the ongoing propaganda battle. (6)
1776

Benjamin L. Carp explains that following the blaze, the British detained several suspects found with "combustibles" like gunpowder and turpentine-soaked matches. While Washington officially claimed ignorance regarding the fire's origin, he privately celebrated the outcome. A notable figure associated with this period is Nathan Hale, who was executed as a spy just one day after the fire. Although most historians conclude Hale did not set the fires, the coincidence of his execution and reports of a "New England captain" caught in the act led many at the time to link him to the arson. (5)
1776

Benjamin L. Carp describes how, as the fire spread, witnesses reported that pumps and bucket handles had been sabotaged to hinder firefighting efforts. The fire consumed Trinity Church, a prominent symbol of the Crown, which some believed was a deliberate target of anti-Anglican rebels. In the ensuing chaos, British soldiers engaged in summary executions, bayoneting individuals suspected of being "incendiaries" or throwing them into the flames. One man, Wright White, was brutally hanged by his heels by enraged soldiers, serving as a grim example of the arbitrary violence and high tensions characterizing that night of destruction. (4)
1776

Benjamin L. Carp explains how, following the defeat at the Battle of Long Island, Washington and his officers faced a critical decision regarding New York's fate. General Nathanael Greene urged Washington to burn the city to prevent the British from using it as a vital winter base and naval port. However, John Hancock and the Continental Congressexplicitly ordered Washington to leave the city intact to protect property and the rebel reputation. Washington later lamented this as a "capital error," privately agreeing with the strategic necessity of destroying the city to deprive the enemy of its many advantages. (2)
1761 PARIS

Benjamin L. Carp discusses his book on the 1776 fire. As George Washington enters New York in the spring of 1776, he finds a politically fractured and largely depopulated city. Most residents had fled to avoid the coming conflict, leaving the town diminished. Washington remains suspicious of loyalist pockets while the British Navy controls the harbor. The segment highlights rebel outrage following the British burning of Charles Town and Falmouth, setting a tense backdrop for the eventual Manhattan conflagration. (1)
1760

H.W. Brands describes how the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, fundamentally changed the nature of the conflict, which Lindbergh privately characterized as Roosevelt getting the country "in through the back door." While Roosevelt was surprised by the location of the attack, he had been pressuring Japan through ultimatums regarding their presence in China and Indonesia. Hitler, believing Roosevelt was already "itching for a cause of war," did the president a "favor" by declaring war on the United States 72 hours later, merging two separate conflicts into World War II. Once the U.S. was officially at war, Lindbergh attempted to fulfill his duty as a loyal citizen by volunteering for the Army Air Corps. Roosevelt personally blocked the request, unwilling to let his chief critic become a military hero, while his administration continued to smear Lindbergh as a "Nazi sympathizer" unfit for command. Undeterred, Lindbergh signed on with aircraft manufacturers as a consultant and surreptitiously traveled to the Pacific theater. There, he not only tested planes but also flew combat missions against the Japanese, providing his skills to his country despite being officially barred from service. Lindbergh lived until 1974, eventually dying in Hawaii, leaving behind a legacy as a man whose technical brilliance was overshadowed by a bitter and historic debate over America's role in the world. (8)
1944
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1936