In the New Netherland Colony, Pinkster was a unique Afro-Dutch celebration – a week of temporary freedom for enslaved people. Able to travel, earn money, and gather in groups, Pinkster allowed enslaved people to take a break from their endless work, see separated family members, preserve and pass on culture to the next generation, and resist enslavement. [Read more…] about Pinkster Festival in Yonkers May 20th
New York City
An English Gambler, A Jewish Butcher & The History of Pastrami on Rye
The term sandwich bread (loaf) started circulating in the United States during the 1930s. It followed a revolution in the manner the product was presented to customers, no longer homemade but mass produced. After a decade of trial and error, the bread slicing machine was introduced and soon widely used. The sandwich was about to conquer the American and European markets. Grabbing a sandwich came to symbolize the rush of an urban society. [Read more…] about An English Gambler, A Jewish Butcher & The History of Pastrami on Rye
New Yorkers Serving in Alaska Territory, 1908-1910
While transcribing Alaska Territory records for the National Archives, I noticed two interesting men who were working with the native tribes. A little research revealed they were both from New York State. Here are their stories. [Read more…] about New Yorkers Serving in Alaska Territory, 1908-1910
Watchable Wildlife: Brooklyn’s Prospect Park
One of the largest parks in Brooklyn, Prospect Park, offers the chance to see just about any bird that travels through New York City. Located along the Atlantic Flyway, Prospect Park is ideal for birding, with more than 250 species spotted each year, including migrating songbirds in spring and fall, and a large diversity of waterfowl and resident birds throughout the year. [Read more…] about Watchable Wildlife: Brooklyn’s Prospect Park
Teachable Moments Launch A New Book
Autobiographies are by far the most popular genre in literature. My experience mentoring over 150 adults in completing and sharing a “Life Map” project in a supportive group reinforces this fact. For many of these adults, their Life Map turned out to be one of their best learning experiences. And that in spite of the fact that for about eight percent of adults this “experiment” in self-writing and exploration came up against a “darkside event” or difficult life-chapter that put up a real roadblock. [Read more…] about Teachable Moments Launch A New Book
Long Island’s Early Textile Industry Explored In New Exhibitions
Preservation Long Island (PLI) and the Huntington Historical Society (HHS) have announced “Blanket Statements: Long Island’s Early Weaving Industry,” and “From Farm to Fabric: Early Woven Textiles on Long Island,” a two-venue exhibition focusing on Long Island‘s early textile industry set to open to the public on Thursday, May 25th.
[Read more…] about Long Island’s Early Textile Industry Explored In New Exhibitions
Great Staten Island Lighthouse Hunt
The National Lighthouse Museum has announced the “Great Staten Island Lighthouse Hunt,” set for Sunday, May 21st from 10 am to 4 pm. [Read more…] about Great Staten Island Lighthouse Hunt
Who Started The Great New York Fire of 1776?
The book The Great New York Fire of 1776: A Lost Story of the American Revolution (Yale University Press, 2023) by Benjamin Carp explores the Great Fire of 1776 and why its origins remained a mystery even after the British investigated it in 1776 and 1783. [Read more…] about Who Started The Great New York Fire of 1776?
New York State Historic Newspapers Website Upgrade Underway
Since its launch in 2014, New York State Historic Newspapers has provided free access to a wide range of newspapers chosen to reflect New York’s unique history. This now includes 920 titles from all 62 counties comprising over 11.7 million pages of historical content. In these years, the content has been hosted on servers located in Potsdam, St. Lawrence County, New York. [Read more…] about New York State Historic Newspapers Website Upgrade Underway
America & New York’s 250th Birthdays
New York is slowly preparing for the 250th anniversary of both the birth of the United States (July 2, 1776) and the birth of New York State (April 20, 1777, the day the first state constitution was approved). [Read more…] about America & New York’s 250th Birthdays