Super Short Summary

In New York Burning, Jill Lepore explores the 1741 conspiracy in Manhattan, where a series of fires led to widespread hysteria and accusations of a slave revolt. The investigation, driven by Supreme Court Justice Daniel Horsmanden, resulted in numerous executions of Black individuals and a few white New Yorkers based on questionable evidence and coerced confessions, revealing deep-rooted racial tensions and injustice in 18th-century New York. Topics include slavery, executions, and racially charged violence.