New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

American Revolution

Heritage Spotlight: Fort Montgomery, Orange County

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Fort Montgomery cannonFort Montgomery was the scene of a fierce Revolutionary War battle for control of the Hudson River. Visitors today can tour the remains of the 14-acre fortification, perched on a cliff overlooking the magnificent Hudson. On October 6th, 1777, British, Loyalist and Hessian forces attacked Fort Montgomery and nearby Fort Clinton.

The defending Americans, outnumbered 3 to 1, fought desperately until driven out of their forts at the points of the enemy bayonets. More than half of the Patriot forces were killed, wounded or captured. [Read more…] about Heritage Spotlight: Fort Montgomery, Orange County

Fort Ticonderoga To Reenact 1777 Brown’s Raid

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1777 Bown's Raid reenactment photo by Mark Morello (courtesy Fort Ticonderoga)After the British capture of Fort Ticonderoga on July 5, 1777, Major General Benjamin Lincoln was ordered to Vermont to organize militia being raised in New England, with part of his mission to harass General John Burgoyne‘s long supply and communication lines to Canada. That September, following the Battle of Bennington, Lincoln sent three 500-man detachments to take on this task. [Read more…] about Fort Ticonderoga To Reenact 1777 Brown’s Raid

Seminar on the American Revolution Call for Papers

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Fort Ticonderoga Seminar on the American RevolutionFort Ticonderoga is seeking proposals for the Nineteenth Annual Seminar on the American Revolution to be held Friday-Sunday, September 22nd through 24th, 2023. [Read more…] about Seminar on the American Revolution Call for Papers

Lt. John Jenkins: Guiding The Clinton-Sullivan Campaign

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Rich JenkinsOn August 11th, 1779, at the height of America’s war for independence, General John Sullivan arrived at Tioga Point on the Susquehanna River at the Pennsylvania-New York border with a large force of men and began construction of what would become known as Fort Sullivan. [Read more…] about Lt. John Jenkins: Guiding The Clinton-Sullivan Campaign

The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton

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ben franklins world podcastIn this episode of Ben Franklin’s World, Andrew Porwancher, the Wick Cary Associate Professor of History at the University of Oklahoma and the Ernest May Fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center, joins Liz Covart to investigate the Jewish world and upbringing of Alexander Hamilton using details from his book, The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton (Princeton, 2021). [Read more…] about The Jewish World of Alexander Hamilton

Albany’s Philip Schuyler Statue, Slavery and History Reconsidered

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Statue of Philip Schuyler in front of Albany City HallA statue of Albany’s Philip Schuyler (1733-1804) has stood in front of City Hall since its dedication by Mayor William S. Hackett on June 25, 1925. The statue was a gift to the city from George C. Hawley, a beer baron whose family owned the Dobler Brewery in Albany, in memory of his wife Theodora M. Hawley.

In 2020, Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan ordered it removed because Schuyler was a slaveholder. As Mayor Sheehan noted, removing the statue is one way of acknowledging the enduring legacy of slavery. [Read more…] about Albany’s Philip Schuyler Statue, Slavery and History Reconsidered

Historic Fort Hunter: From Queen Anne’s War to the Erie Canal

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map of Fort Hunter courtesy NYS ArchivesThe hamlet of Fort Hunter in Montgomery County, NY, while small, has been historically significant even since before the American Revolution. It was home to people of the Mohawk Nation and was known as the Lower Castle being downstream or below Canajoharie on the Mohawk River. Being at the confluence of the Schoharie Creek and river it was always an important trade post for goods, food, and cultures. [Read more…] about Historic Fort Hunter: From Queen Anne’s War to the Erie Canal

Saratoga Area Ethnohistoric Survey Nears Completion

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saratoga national historic park courtesy wikimedia user UpstateNYerIn 2018, Saratoga National Historical Park received funding to produce an ethnohistorical study of the Saratoga area. Professor Karim Tiro from Xavier University was chosen to conduct the research and compile the report.

Dr. Tiro specializes in North American history during the colonial, revolutionary, and early national periods with a focus on the history of Native Americans, the War of 1812, and epidemics. [Read more…] about Saratoga Area Ethnohistoric Survey Nears Completion

Experiences of Revolution: Disruptions in Yorktown

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ben franklins world podcastWhat was everyday life like during the American War for Independence?

Our Fourth of July series continues with an investigation of how the American War for Independence impacted those who remained on the homefront. As episode 332 explored how the war impacted the lives of people who lived in urban Philadelphia, this episode investigates how the war impacted the lives of people who lived in the more rural setting of Yorktown, Virginia. [Read more…] about Experiences of Revolution: Disruptions in Yorktown

Occupied America: British Military Rule and the Revolution

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occupied americaThe book Occupied America: British Military Rule and the Revolution (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2020) by Donald F. Johnson chronicles the everyday experience of ordinary people living under military occupation during the American Revolution.

Focusing on day-to-day life in port cities held by the British Army, Johnson recounts how men and women from a variety of backgrounds navigated harsh conditions, mitigated threats to their families and livelihoods, took advantage of new opportunities, and balanced precariously between revolutionary and royal attempts to secure their allegiance. [Read more…] about Occupied America: British Military Rule and the Revolution