In 1785, Elizabeth, a young enslaved woman, was shipped from New York Harbor to be sold again, leaving behind a child she feared she’d never see. Unbeknownst to her, Robert Townsend—once tied to the family that enslaved her and later one of George Washington’s spies—would find her, protect her child, and help bring her back to New York, linking her struggle for freedom to the larger fight for independence.

For more stories that uncover the complex, often overlooked lives behind the Revolution—especially here in New York—visit The Occupied City exhibition at the Museum of the City of New York, where voices like Elizabeth’s bring the nation’s founding era into sharper, more human focus.

• 232 pages
• 6.42 x 0.9 x 9.41 inches