New York Almanack

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AmRev

New Book Focuses On Growth of Schenectady in 1760-1800

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SGII CoverBook purchases made through this link support New York Almanack’s mission to report new publications relevant to New York State.

John F. Gearing’s new book Schenectady Genesis, Volume II: The Creation of an American City from an Anglo-Dutch Town, ca. 1760-1800 (Colonial Schenectady Project, Ltd., 2020) looks back into Schenectady’s history: from the post French & Indian War period, into the War for Independence, and later Schenectady’s own fight for independence from Albany. [Read more…] about New Book Focuses On Growth of Schenectady in 1760-1800

Smugglers & Patriots in the 18th-Century Atlantic World

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ben_franklins_worldEmpire, slavery, and constant warfare interacted with each other in the Atlantic World. Which brings us to our question: In what ways did the Atlantic World and its issues contribute to the American Revolution?

In this episode of Ben Franklin’s World: A Podcast about Early American History, Tyson Reeder, an editor of the Papers of James Madison and author of Smugglers, Pirates, and Patriots: Free Trade in the Age of Revolution (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019), helps us see how smuggling and trade in the Luso-Atlantic, or Portuguese-Atlantic World contributed to the development and spread of ideas about free trade and republicanism.

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War on the Middleline: Munro’s Raid On Saratoga County in 1780

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Historical Marker on Middleline RoadLife as they knew it changed overnight. For years there had been fear, causing hardships day-by-day, but after this event their lives would never be the same. Much like our response to Pearl Harbor or September 11, October 16, 1780 was a day the people along Middleline Road in the Town of Ballston would never forget. [Read more…] about War on the Middleline: Munro’s Raid On Saratoga County in 1780

A New Book About Schoharie’s Old Stone Fort

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The new book Old Stone Fort – Guardian of Schoharie County History Since 1772 by Jeff O’Connor features over 79 maps, illustrations, and photographs that help narrate the history of one of upstate New York’s oldest and most beloved museums. [Read more…] about A New Book About Schoharie’s Old Stone Fort

New Book: The Revolutionary War in the Adirondacks

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the revolutionary war in the adirondacks During the Revolutionary Era much of New York State was a heavily forested frontier, sparsely populated but bitterly divided.

Although the only major campaign in the Adirondacks would end at the Battle of Saratoga, factional raiding parties traversed the mountains and valleys of the Adirondacks throughout the war.

Author Marie Danielle Annette Williams details many of those frontier raids in her new book The Revolutionary War in the Adirondacks: Raids in the Wilderness (Arcadia Publishing, 2020). [Read more…] about New Book: The Revolutionary War in the Adirondacks

The Burning of Jones Mill During Battles of Saratoga

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British Captain Alexander Fraziers Select Marksmen campWhen most people think about the Battles of Saratoga, they think of those at Freeman’s Farm (Sept. 19) and Bemus Heights (Oct. 7). Also well known is the siege period in the modern Schuylerville area from October 10th to the 17th.

There were many combat actions however, both great and small, that get less notice. One small skirmish, occurred at Jones Mill, near Grangerville in the town of Saratoga on October 2, 1777. [Read more…] about The Burning of Jones Mill During Battles of Saratoga

The British Are Coming: Independence and American Character

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ben_franklins_worldBook purchases made through this link support New York Almanack‘s mission to report new publications relevant to New York State.

The American Revolution is embedded in the American character. It’s an event that can tell us who we are, how we came to be who we are, and how we can strive to be who we want to be as a nation and people.

In this episode of Ben Franklin’s World: A Podcast About Early American History, Rick Atkinson, author of The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 (Henry Holt & Company, 2019), joins us to explore how the War for Independence has impacted and shaped the American character.

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Battles of Trenton, Princeton Virtual Lecture Aug 6th

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mark maloy victory or deathIn 1776, just six months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, George Washington and the new American Army were on the verge of utter destruction at the banks of the Delaware River.  The American Revolution was imperil.

Rather than submit to defeat, Washington and his small band of soldiers crossed the ice-choked river and attacked the Hessian garrison at Trenton, New Jersey on the day after Christmas in 1777.

The surprise attack was followed by successful actions along the Assunpink Creek and at Princeton. [Read more…] about Battles of Trenton, Princeton Virtual Lecture Aug 6th

The Death of Jane McCrea: Fact and Fiction

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Death of Jane McCrea by Jules TurcasWhat could be more symbolic of British imperial domination, immorality, and unfettered disrespect for human life than the murder of Jane McCrea at the hands of British-allied Indians near Fort Edward, NY, on July 26, 1777?

Word spread fast, and McCrea’s slaying excited legion numbers of patriotic American militia to seek righteous revenge against the sinister “savages” and General John Burgoyne. Burgoyne could later reflect upon this sad event as the beginning of the end of his sinister, failed military expedition.

At least, this is what authors, enthusiasts, and yes — even historians — have led us to believe for centuries. [Read more…] about The Death of Jane McCrea: Fact and Fiction