Final answer:
Five British ships of the line each carrying sixty-four or seventy-two or more guns would carry more firepower than all colonial firepower in New York, as the entire American fleet was underdeveloped with the largest ships being forty-four-gun frigates.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question is regarding the firepower of British ships compared to all colonial firepower in New York during a historical period when the British Navy was the most formidable in the world. The British were able to commit about eighty-five ships to fight the Americans, with the larger ships of the line carrying significantly more guns and firepower. In contrast, the entire American fleet numbered less than twenty, with the largest ships being forty-four-gun frigates. A single British ship of the line, with multiple gun decks and up to seventy-two or more guns, would outpower multiple American ships. Therefore, it would be reasonable to infer that even a handful of British ships would carry more firepower than all the colonial firepower in New York. Based on the information provided, the British ships, particularly the ships of the line, could unleash devastating firepower with their multitude of guns. Assuming the multiple gun decks contained a combination of sixty-four or more cannons, and comparing this to the American ships with around forty-four guns on their largest frigates, it seems plausible that five British ships could carry more firepower. Hence, the correct answer would be (a) Five.