The Bowery Boys episode 488. Party, like it's 76. Hey, it's the Bowery Boys. Hey.

Hi there. Welcome to the Bowery boys. This is Greg Young.

And this is Tom Myers. And wow. Greg, what a festive time.

Yes, it is. Right now in New York City, we are just a couple of weeks away from a very major once-in-a-lifetime anniversary on July 4th, 2026. Yes, that would be the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States and the proclamation

of the Declaration of Independence from Great Britain. Huzzah! So understandably, there is a lot out there to celebrate and explain in this particular moment.

It is a subject that is very important to us as a New York City history podcast,

but we thought that we might approach it from a different angle.

We thought that perhaps today on the show,

we could celebrate celebrations.

Now, part of this has to do with New York's situation

during 1776, because while many citizens

did welcome the battle for America's independence,

and many were gathered around George Washington and his men as the

declaration was read to them on the common grounds on July 9, 1776. The result ultimately led to

battles in August and September of that year, and then to the eventual capture of the city by British troops.

And side note, if you would like to transport yourself right back there to that period,

to the summer of 1776, we would recommend downloading the fabulous new interactive app

produced by the Gotham Center for New York City history. It is called

Echoes of Revolution, NYC. And it will take you on a 90-minute tour of Lower Manhattan

past many of the spots that were so important to the American Revolution. Check that out.

That is Echoes of Revolution, NYC. But on today's show,

we're going to look at just how the nation and New York, specifically, of course, marked those

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