History, Natural History & the Arts
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The new book The Livingston Lion: Henry Beekman Livingston’s Revolution (Epigraph, 2021) by historian Geoff Benton is the first biography of Revolutionary War soldier Henry Beekman Livingston. [Read more…] about A New Biography of Henry Beekman Livingston
Commemorations for the 250th anniversary of the American War for Independence are underway at Fort Ticonderoga. The museum has started developing plans and exploring partnerships at the state and national levels to mark this historic anniversary.
Through exhibits, events, publications, and programs, Fort Ticonderoga seeks to increase access and awareness and expand educational impact related to the monumental history of the complex struggle to achieve independence. [Read more…] about America 250 Patriots Marker Dedicated at Fort Ti
The Rome Historical Society (RHS) has released The British Lines, a digital tour reviewing the movement of British troops during the Siege of Fort Stanwix in 1777. [Read more…] about Video Tour Tracks British Troops at Fort Stanwix in 1777
From Philadelphia, on July 3rd, 1776, John Adams mailed a letter to his wife, Abigail, in Boston. The letter explained the historic decisions agreed upon by the Continental Congress and the plans for celebration.
“The second day of July, 1776, will be the most memorable epoch in the history of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated by succeeding generations as the great anniversary festival. It ought to be commemorated as the day of deliverance, by solemn acts of devotion to God Almighty. It ought to be solemnized with pomp and parade, with shows, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires, and illuminations, from one end of this continent to the other, from this time forward forever more.” ~ John Adams
[Read more…] about Andre-Arnold Project Highlighting Westchester Co Treason Sites
Dr. Joseph Warren (1741 – 1775) played a leading role in Patriot organizations in Boston at the beginning of the American Revolution, eventually serving as President of the revolutionary Massachusetts Provincial Congress. He enlisted Paul Revere and William Dawes to spread the alarm that the British were moving to Concord and arrest rebel leaders John Hancock and Samuel Adams. Warren was at the Battles of Lexington and Concord the following day.
Warren was commissioned a major general in the colony’s militia before the Battle of Bunker Hill. Instead, he participated in the battle as a private soldier, and was killed when British troops stormed Breed’s Hill. [Read more…] about The Life and Legacy of Dr. Joseph Warren
The story of the founding of the United States is a familiar one. It usually (but not always) begins with English settlement at Jamestown, Virginia in 1607, describes the founding and development of thirteen British North American colonies that hugged North America’s eastern seaboard, and then delves into the imperial reforms and conflicts that caused the colonists to respond with violent protests during the 1760s and 1770s.
Then there is the war, which began in April 1775 and ended in 1783. The adoption of the Declaration of Independence in 1776. And the story of how against all odds, the Americans persevered and founded an independent United States.
Have you ever wondered where this familiar narrative came from and why it was developed? [Read more…] about Memory, History and the American Revolution
The teaching of anatomy at European medical schools had become standard practice by the middle of the sixteenth century. Instruction included the dissection of a human corpse. Initially, bodies at hand were those of (male) criminals or heretics.
The occasional dissection of a woman, it being a public event, attracted large numbers of spectators by the prospect of the exposure of female organs. A dissection at the time was both education and spectacle. It was attended by professionals, painters, and the curious alike. The cutting up of a body was a celebration of scientific progress. [Read more…] about Body Snatching at New Rochelle: Cobbett & Paine
The Martin Weigand Tavern in the City of Newburgh was a historic property allowed to deteriorate to a point where it was almost beyond repair. It’s now getting a new life.
Located on Liberty Street, it’s a relic of the American Revolution where many Revolutionary notables spent time. The tavern was also the center of political life in early Newburgh. It stands today at the Northwest corner of the Old Town Cemetery as it has for over two centuries. [Read more…] about Newburgh’s Historic Weigand Tavern Getting A New Life
Years in the making, a decisive confrontation occurred on July 19th, 1771 at James Breakenridge’s farm in North Bennington, Vermont.
A New York sheriff’s posse, including the Mayor of Albany, lawyers, magistrates, and militia clashed with the emerging Green Mountain Boys militia near the current location of the Henry Bridge which crosses the Walloomsac River, stopping the serving of papers and blocking the New York surveyors. The success of Hampshire Grants settlers in resisting the New York land claims made July 19, 1771 the birth of the Green Mountain Boys, and in a sense, the birth of the state of Vermont. [Read more…] about NY-VT ‘Breakenridge Stand-off’ 250th Anniversary Being Marked
On June 8th, in the final week of legislative session, the New York State 250th Commemoration Act, passed both the New York Senate and Assembly.
The bill, which passed unanimously in both houses and now awaits the signature of Governor Andrew Cuomo, would create the New York State 250th Commemoration Commission to create a plan to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and founding of the United States (the Semiquincentennial, July 4, 2026), and establish a 250th Commemoration Commission Fund. [Read more…] about The Semiquincentennial: State Leg Passes 250th Commemoration Act