New York Almanack

History, Natural History & the Arts

Fort Plain Museum

Lafayette at Brandywine (Virtual Program)

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Lafayette at BrandywineAmerica’s international hero, the Marquis Lafayette, risked his life and spent his fortune in the fight for American independence from England. Without Lafayette and the assistance of France, America may not have been victorious during the American Revolution. The importance of the Battle of Brandywine, where Lafayette was wounded on September 11th, 1777, has not been recognized as a major turning point in America’s independence.

The Fort Plain Museum will host a virtual program based on the book Lafayette at Brandywine: The Making of an American Hero, about Lafayette’s role in America’s fight for freedom and the historical importance of the Battle of Brandywine. The award winning author of the book Bruce E. Mowday will present the program, set for Monday, January 31st. [Read more…] about Lafayette at Brandywine (Virtual Program)

Historical Fiction Writer On The Dresden Bombing (Virtual Event)

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Surviving DresdenThe Fort Plain Museum will host “Mixing History and Fiction: Writing the Controversial Story of the 1945 Bombing of Dresden,” a virtual presentation with Fort Plain Museum’s Board of Trustees Member and Military Historian James Kirby Martin set for Thursday, January 27th.

James Kirby Martin, known for his writing on Revolutionary America, has produced his first co-authored historical novel, Surviving Dresden: A Novel about Life, Death, and Redemption in World War II (Permuted Press, 2021). [Read more…] about Historical Fiction Writer On The Dresden Bombing (Virtual Event)

Fort Plain Museum: Author Book Fair, Christmas at the Fort Dec 4th, Dueling Pistols on Display

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Fort Plain MuseumThe Fort Plain Museum will be open 10 am to 4 pm on Saturdays and Sundays through December. The gift shop will also be open for holiday shopping.
The Christmas at the Fort even will be held Saturday, December 4, 2021, from 10 am to 4 pm.  The event features an Author Book Fair (12 pm to 3 pm) with over 20 authors selling and signiong their books. There will also be 15% off all bookstore and gift shop purchases and refreshments served.

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Dr. Joseph Warren

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Joseph WarrenDr. 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 Dr. Joseph Warren

Washington’s Army: Surviving the Winters

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surviving the wintersBook purchases made through this link support New York Almanack’s mission to report new publications relevant to New York State.

George Washington and his Continental Army braving the frigid winter at Valley Forge form an iconic image in the popular history of the American Revolution. Such winter camps were also a critical factor in the waging and winning of the War of Independence.

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Winning Independence: The Decisive Years 1778-1781

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

It was 1778, and the recent American victory at Saratoga had netted the U.S a powerful ally in France. Many, including General George Washington, presumed France’s entrance into the war meant independence was just around the corner.

Meanwhile, having lost an entire army at Saratoga, Great Britain pivoted to a “southern strategy.” The army would henceforth seek to regain its southern colonies, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia, a highly profitable segment of its pre-war American empire. [Read more…] about Winning Independence: The Decisive Years 1778-1781

George Washington & Slavery at Mount Vernon

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The Only Unavoidable Subject of RegretBook purchases made through this link support New York Almanack’s mission to report new publications relevant to New York State.

George Washington’s life has been scrutinized by historians over the past three centuries, but the day-to-day lives of Mount Vernon’s enslaved workers, who left few written records but made-up 90 percent of the estate’s population, have been largely left out of the story.

In her book The Only Unavoidable Subject of Regret: George Washington, Slavery, and the Enslaved Community at Mount Vernon (Univ. of Virginia Press, 2019), Mary Thompson offers the first comprehensive account of those who served in bondage at Mount Vernon.

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New Book On Revolutionary War Forts at Canajohary

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fort plain fort plank and fort rensselaerA great deal of confusion has developed regarding the historical identities of Fort Plain, Fort Plank and Fort Rensselaer.

To help dispel that confusion, the Fort Plain Museum has recently published an important new book, Fort Plain, Fork Plank, Fort Rensselaer: The Revolutionary War Forts of Canajohary by Wayne Lenig. [Read more…] about New Book On Revolutionary War Forts at Canajohary