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New York Slaves All children born to slaves after July 4, 1799 in New York were considered free men, but those born before that date were not free until July 4, 1827. That left about 1,500 slaves in New York at the time of the War of 1812. Most of these lived in New York City. Several times the British considered raiding New York to allow those slaves to join the English cause, but they decided to concentrate on New Orleans instead. New York at the same time considered offering an option to these slaves to join the military, granting them freedom on discharge as well as a $25 bounty, but the war ended before the law could be enacted.
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