New York Burning: Liberty, Slavery, and Conspiracy in Eighteenth-Century Manhattan

In “Water,” Lepore attempts to uncover the truth of what occurred during the meetings at Hughson’s tavern, and whether or not a conspiracy was actually hatched there. Over the course of their investigation, the prosecutors and the Supreme Court realize that while some slaves claim to have heard of the conspiracy at Hughson’s tavern, many more slaves learn of the plot during meetings at the home of Gerardus Comfort, a neighbor to Hughson and owner of the slave Jack. Although the prosecution attempts to conflate the meetings at Hughson’s tavern and those at Comfort’s house, suggesting that both meetings involve plotting for a rebellion, Lepore argues that the events taking place at both homes had very distinct meanings.

During the trial, some of the slaves testify that Hughson told them of the slave plot as early as 1738, several years prior to the actual fires committed in 1741. According to these slaves, Hughson often spoke of the plot freely at parties, with Hughson often initiating the slaves into the plot when both Hughson and the slave are very drunk. Lepore argues that such behavior seems at odds with an actual attempt to plan a conspiracy, as such plotting would require a great deal of secrecy on the part of Hughson and his inductees.