Time Travel: Mobile App Takes You to 18th-Century Manhattan
'09.06.2026'
ForumDaily New York
A new digital project in New York City transports users back to the era of the American Revolution. Using augmented reality and geolocation, users can experience what Manhattan looked like in the 18th century right on the streets of Lower Manhattan today. AMNY tells in more detail.
Imagine New York City in 1776. The British army begins a seven-year occupation of Manhattan, battling American colonists who are demanding freedom and independence from King George.
Over the next few years, fierce fighting rages across the city. A fire breaks out in Lower Manhattan, destroying buildings and homes, including the original Trinity Church.
It's unclear whether the fire was started by British troops, but conflict between the British and Americans engulfs the entire city. Many residents flee Manhattan, which is now filled with British soldiers and Loyalists.
Traces of war that remain to this day
The American Revolution ended in 1783. The country gained independence, but Lower Manhattan remained home to monuments, artifacts, and historical sites.
On the subject: Jacob Riis's legendary bathhouse reopens in New York after 50 years of neglect.
Today these points They become the basis for new educational technologies. They help us understand what the city looked like during the struggle for independence.
New digital project
The Gotham Center for NYC History at the City University of New York (CUNY) has teamed up with Ubisoft and Sugar Creative to create a special project.
It's called Echoes of Revolution: NYC. It's a 90-minute walking tour of Lower Manhattan, available digitally.
How the application works
The user downloads the application and completes a route lasting approximately 1,5 hours.
It runs through historical sites associated with the revolution.
Among them:
- Bowling Green, where residents and soldiers tore down a statue of the British king;
- Federal Hall, one of the key historical buildings.
The app uses augmented reality and geolocation to superimpose a reconstruction of colonial New York onto modern streets.
The user can see scenes from the past right at the scene.
For example:
- How George Washington dined with officers;
- how secret meetings with Sons of Liberty members were held at Fraunces Tavern;
- How the British used abandoned ships as prisons for prisoners of war. More than 11,000 prisoners died on these ships.
Objective of the project
The creators emphasize that the project is not just about technology. It aims to preserve history and explain it in an accessible way.
"New York City has long deserved a 'Freedom Trail' that showcases its role in the American Revolution. Now, thanks to Ubisoft and Sugar Creative, people can see what this dramatic and important period of history looked like," noted Peter Einer, Director of the Gotham Center for New York City History at CUNY.
Ubisoft drew on the experience of the Assassin's Creed series to create this app. Sugar Creative, a Welsh studio, specializes in interactive museum projects.
Its director, Jason Veale, emphasized that the collaboration was an important step in creating a high-level historical experience.
Along with the project's launch, Gotham Center is collaborating with the Museum of the City of New York. They are preparing an exhibition, "The Occupied City," to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the United States.
