In celebration of the 225th anniversary of the evacuation of the United States of America by British troops in 1783, a 108-mile corridor of light illuminated the night sky across a wide swath of New York and New Jersey on November 25th. A joint project of the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area, the Crossroads of the American Revolution National Heritage Area and numerous other partners, the light came from a series of strategically placed beacons, meant to replicate original signal locations used by the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.
The high-tech xenon spotlights used for the ceremony were a far cry from the original 18th century beacons. An effective means of communication throughout the War, the original lights were usually piles of ignited brush. Though simple in nature, the systems proved vital in alerting the militia and the residents of New York and New Jersey to the approach of British Redcoats
In addition to the beacons, commemoration activities also included dozens of reenactors dressed in traditional 18th century attire, mustering in Manhattan to mark the final exit of British troops from the original 13 colonies. Their departure occurred more than two years after the Continental Army's victory at Yorktown.
Ruby: 1.8.7, Rails: 1.1.6