New York Conspiracy of 1741

Quick Facts: Who was New York Conspiracy of 1741?

Subject:

New York Conspiracy of 1741

Known for:

Alleged 1741 plot by slaves and poor whites to revolt against colonial rule.

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Origins & Early Life

The Conspiracy of 1741, also known as the Slave Insurrection of 1741, was a purported plot by slaves and poor whites in the British colony of New York in 1741 to revolt and level New York City with a series of fires. Historians disagree as to whether such a plot existed and, if there was one, its scale. During the court cases, the prosecution kept changing the grounds of accusation, ending with linking the insurrection to a "Popish" plot by Spaniards and other Catholics. In 1741, Manhattan had the second-largest slave population of any city in the Thirteen Colonies after Charleston, South Carolina. Rumors of a conspiracy arose against a background of economic competition between poor whites and slaves; a severe winter; war between Britain and Spain, with heightened anti-Catholic and anti-Spanish feelings; and recent slave revolts in South Carolina and Saint John in the Caribbean.

Career & Major Achievements

In March and April 1741, a series of 13 fires erupted in Lower Manhattan, the most significant one within the walls of Fort George, then the home of the governor. After another fire at a warehouse, a slave was arrested after having been seen fleeing it. A 16-year-old Irish indentured servant, Mary Burton, arrested in a case of stolen goods, testified against the others as participants in a supposedly growing conspiracy of poor whites and blacks to burn the city, kill the white men, take the white women for themselves, and elect a new king and governor. In the spring of 1741, fear gripped Manhattan as fires burned across all the inhabited areas of the island. The suspected culprits included hundreds of New York's slaves, free blacks, and lower-class whites, 172 of whom were arrested and tried for conspiracy to burn the town and murder its white inhabitants.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

As in the Salem witch trials, a few witnesses implicated many other suspects. In the end, thirty-four people were executed, thirty of whom were black men. They included seventeen black men, two white men, and two white women who were hanged as well as thirteen black men burnt at the stake. The bodies of two supposed ringleaders, Caesar, a slave, and John Hughson, a white cobbler and tavern keeper, were gibbeted. Their corpses were left to rot in public.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1741: 1741 Milestone — The Conspiracy of 1741, also known as the Slave Insurrection of 1741, was a purported plot by slaves and poor whites in the British colony of New York in 1741 to revolt and level New York City with a series of fires.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: New York Conspiracy of 1741

True or False: “The Conspiracy of 1741 was primarily fueled by economic competition between enslaved people and wealthy plantation owners.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): The tension arose from poor whites competing economically with slaves in trades, not solely from conflict with wealthy slaveholders.

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• New York Slave Revolt of 1712 — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A major 1712 uprising by enslaved people in New York City, leading to severe repression.
• New York University — Chrono-Wiki Encyclopedia Entry: A major private research university in New York City, known for its diverse global reach.

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