year 1811, what they called the City Plan. If you will look at a map,
you will see at the lower part of the Island of Manhattan that the
streets cross and recross each other in the most bewildering manner. And
you will also see that above this jumble the streets and avenues extend
through the island in a regular and uniform way. This change was the
result of the City Plan.

While the commission was making its plan, there came threatenings of
war. Again England was at war with France, and those two countries in
fighting one another very often injured the American ships. Besides, the
British war-ships had a disagreeable way of searching American ships and
taking charge of any Englishmen they found on them, even those who had
become American citizens. These same British war-ships often fired upon
those American vessels whose captains objected to their being searched.

So it came about that American ships carrying merchandise to other
countries and bringing merchandise to American ports were interfered
with more and more, and American commerce was thus ruined, for no
American ship was safe. The end came early in the year 1812, when the
United States declared war against Great Britain.

[Illustration: Castle Garden.]

As soon as war was declared, the citizens of New York united for
defence, and when news came that the city was to be attacked, a great
meeting was held in City Hall Park, and everybody decided, then and
there, to support their country with their fortunes, their honor, and
their lives. Then they went to work, stopping all other employment, and
night and day they built forts and defences. They built forts on the
islands in the bay to defend the approach to the city from the ocean,