Troy Terwilliger’s Reviews > New York > Status Update

There is a deep irony in these chapters. The reader knows that the "Noble Vision" of Newport is about to be shattered by the 1929 Crash.

“And then she laughed and laughed and laughed, until she cried.”

The trial was a sensation because Zenger’s lawyer, A. Hamilton did something revolutionary. He admitted Zenger printed the articles but argued that the truth is a defense.
He told the jury that they had the right to determine the law themselves. When the jury found Zenger "Not Guilty," it was a massive blow to the "English Rulers." It established the foundation for what would eventually become the First Amendment.

Wow… is this book a first hand account of the revolutionary war or what?

The chapter title refers to her emotional journey. Unlike her ancestors who often married for "discretion" or "land," Susan is navigating a New York that is becoming more romanticized and individualistic.

Susan..She serves as a foil to the grit of the city. While she lives a life of relative comfort, the city around her is exploding with Irish immigration (the "famine" refugees) and the looming threat of the Civil War.

• Do they protect their property by staying loyal to the Crown?

• Do they protect their "inner light" by joining the rebellion?

• Do they hide the secret wampum belt, a symbol of a land that existed before either "English" or "American" was a category?

Anglicans rising!

You’re seeing the "British New York" emerge, but because of people like Dirk and Pale Feather, you know there is a layer underneath that is Indigenous and Dutch. Then, with Quash, you see the African layer being added. It’s a literal "middle ground" where these groups are forced to navigate one another.