Evacuation of New York by the British

New York City passed fully into American hands at the end of the Revolutionary War. On November 25, 1783, British forces evacuated the city, their ships pulling away from the harbor as the Union Jack was taken down and the American flag raised in its place. The act was both practical and symbolic, marking the end of eight years of war and occupation. For New Yorkers, Evacuation Day became a lasting reminder that independence was finally secured, not just declared.