History, Natural History & the Arts
In 1775, as the American Revolution had begun, Baron von Steuben joined the fight against the British with the assistance of then ambassador to France Benjamin Franklin.
Appalled by the state of the Revolutionary army, Steuben began teaching soldiers military drills, tactics, and discipline based on Prussian techniques. [Read more…] about Baron von Steuben’s Oneida County Estate
In this episode of Ben Franklin’s World, in honor of the 300th anniversary of the Brafferton Indian School building, we investigate the history and origins of the Brafferton Indian School and why English, later British, colonists created schools to teach young Indigenous boys tenets of the Anglican religion and English language and customs. [Read more…] about The Brafferton Indian School
On July 23, 1788, a colorful “Federal Procession” of nearly 5,000 citizens marched through Lower Manhattan in celebration of the ratification of the Constitution. The Order of the Procession was divided in ten divisions representing various trades and professions. One of those involved in the manifestation was a young Federalist and lexicographer by the name of Noah Webster.
Noah was a member of the Philological Society of New York. Founded in March 1788 for the purpose of “improving the American Tongue,” the Society was eager to take part in the event. Solemnly dressed in black, the philologists paraded in the Ninth Division with lawyers, college students and merchants. [Read more…] about Noah Webster’s Dictionary for Independence
As federal student loan borrowers are set to resume payments this coming October after a three and a half year-long pause, this may cause confusion about the repayment process and make borrowers vulnerable to potential scams. [Read more…] about Tips for Those Indebted to Student Loans to Avoid Scams
As the 1920s advanced, the economy soared. But with that dramatic expansion came irrational exuberance and unchecked speculation: stock prices reached levels that had no basis in reality; margin purchases were rampant; banks handed out loans lavishly and imprudently; and giddy product production resulted in a vast oversupply of goods.
On Tuesday, October 29, 1929, it all came crashing down. This is the story of the Great Depression in New York City. [Read more…] about The Great Depression in New York City: A Primer
After more than three years, the Federal Student Loan payment pause ends and interest resumes on September 1, 2023 with payments scheduled to restart in October 2023.
Begun under the Trump administration in March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Federal Student Loan payment pause allowed borrowers to stop making payments on their federal student loans without penalty. The payment pause was extended by the Biden administration several times, but widespread cancellation was halted by the conservative Supreme Court.
The end of the payment pause will have a significant impact on borrowers and is expected to lead to an increase in defaults on the some $1.75 trillion total debt from some 45.3 million borrowers. [Read more…] about Federal Student Loan Payment Pause Ending
As summer vacation comes to an end, students are once again preparing to return to school. What follows is a letter written in 1854 by a student at the Jonesville Academy. The Academy was a private school, built about 1839, complete with dormitories. It still stands today as a private home in the hamlet of Jonesville, in Clifton Park, Saratoga County, NY. [Read more…] about ‘Send Pies’: A Letter From School, 1854
In 1652, New Netherland Dutch Director General Peter Stuyvesant granted land to the Dutch Church in Albany to construct a house to shelter the poor. In 1683, English Governor Thomas Dongan convened the first representative Assembly in the Colony of New York.
One of the first laws passed by the Colonial Assembly was a law regarding the treatment of orphans. [Read more…] about Albany’s Distressed Children & The Albany Orphan Asylum: Some History
Founded in 1986, the University at Albany’s Science and Technology Entry Program (STEP) works to promote diversity, equity, and the inclusion of historically underrepresented high school students pursuing careers in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). [Read more…] about University at Albany Science and Technology Entry Program
In this episode of Ben Franklin’s World, historians Lindsay M. Chervinsky, Ronald Angelo Johnson, and Kariann Akemi Yokota join host Liz Covart to answer questions about how historians are discussing the upcoming 250th anniversary of the United States’ founding in 2026. [Read more…] about Fourth of July in 2026: America’s 250th Anniversary