Of all the British soldiers who served in North America during the American Revolution, none wrote more about his experiences than Roger Lamb. His service in two of the most important campaigns — the 1777 Saratoga campaign and the 1781 campaign through the Carolinas to Virginia — put him in the thick of some of the war’s most famous battles. [Read more…] about Roger Lamb’s American Revolution: A British Soldier’s Story Updated
History
The Ferguson Brothers Lynching on Long Island (Podcast)
Two Black men were shot and killed by a police officer in Freeport on a cold winter morning in 1946. Another was wounded. All three were brothers, two were World War II veterans dressed in their military uniforms. The ensuing outcry and investigations would spread far beyond the south shore of Long Island and bring the story of racial tensions on Long Island to the national level. [Read more…] about The Ferguson Brothers Lynching on Long Island (Podcast)
The Capitol Region’s Race Course: Island Park
The Hudson River in New York’s Capital Region has always been a vital transportation link, and it also provides a conduit to undertakings of the past. The area presently occupied by Interstate-787 and its connectors to NY-378 were constructed on what had been a cluster of islands in the Hudson River, near Menands, between Albany and Watervliet.
Even in the 1820s, the road here became noted for unofficial, and illegal, horse racing. [Read more…] about The Capitol Region’s Race Course: Island Park
The Story of Mohawk Airlines (1945 – 1972)
First headquartered in Ithaca, NY, Mohawk Airlines operated from the Oneida County Airport in Oriskany, NY. It was a regional passenger airline that covered the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States from the mid-1940s until it was bought by Allegheny Airlines in 1972.
At its peak, it employed over 2,200 personnel. It was a pioneer in regional airline operations, including being the first airline in the United States to hire an African American flight attendant and the first to offer a pressurized cabin. [Read more…] about The Story of Mohawk Airlines (1945 – 1972)
Harvey Silver’s Portraits of 1960s and 1970s America Going On Exhibit
EV Gallery in New York City has announced their Holiday Photography Show, “Changin’ Times” by Harvey L. Silver is set to open on Saturday, December 3rd, with an opening reception from 6 to 9 pm.
[Read more…] about Harvey Silver’s Portraits of 1960s and 1970s America Going On Exhibit
Artists Reflect On the Impact of Great Migration in New Exhibit
Between 1915 and 1970, in the wake of racial terror during the post-Reconstruction period, millions of Black Americans fled from their homes to other areas within the South and to other parts of the country. This movement of people caused a radical shift in the demographic, economic, and sociopolitical makeup of the United States.
For instance, New York City — and particularly Manhattan — became home to hundreds of thousands of Black Americans during this time, catalyzing the start of the artistic and cultural movement known as the Harlem Renaissance. [Read more…] about Artists Reflect On the Impact of Great Migration in New Exhibit
Washington’s Revenge: The 1777 New Jersey Campaign
In late August 1776, a badly defeated Continental Army retreated from Long Island to Manhattan. By early November, George Washington’s inexperienced army withdrew further into New Jersey and, by the end of the year, into Pennsylvania. During this dark night of the American Revolution — “the times that try men’s souls” — Washington began developing the strategy that would win the war. [Read more…] about Washington’s Revenge: The 1777 New Jersey Campaign
Turkey Day History: The Two Thanksgivings of 1871
For about a week in 1871, New Yorkers were in a quandary about Thanksgiving. On October 25, New York Governor John T. Hoffman designated Thursday, November 23 as Thanksgiving Day for the state.
In his Thanksgiving Day proclamation, the Tammany Hall Democrat urged New Yorkers to spend time on that day to declare “their gratitude to God for all his mercies” and to “remember especially the poor.” [Read more…] about Turkey Day History: The Two Thanksgivings of 1871
Talkin’ Turkey: 19th Century Thanksgiving Newspaper Reports
“Let us talk about turkey,” proclaimed a New York Tribune humor column republished Nov.23, 1888 in The Granville Sentinel. Not Turkey in Europe, nor yet Turkey in Asia. But turkey in America – the esteemed bird that goes so well with cranberry sauce.”
The bald eagle, national bird of the United States, gets prominent attention for months at a time once every four years, when there is a presidential election, but the turkey is heralded every year, the columnist quipped. [Read more…] about Talkin’ Turkey: 19th Century Thanksgiving Newspaper Reports
Revolutionary Thanks: America’s First National Thanksgiving Holiday
America’s first national Thanksgiving holiday was declared by the Continental Congress to commemorate the victory of the American army of General Horatio Gates over British forces commanded by General John Burgoyne in Saratoga, New York on October 17, 1777.
The triumph at Saratoga, America’s turning point in the eight-year War of Independence was the first time in world history an entire British army had been captured. What’s more, the victory reversed a long string of humiliating defeats for the 13 rebellious colonies, including the loss of the revolutionary capital in Philadelphia. [Read more…] about Revolutionary Thanks: America’s First National Thanksgiving Holiday