November News & Events from RW250
NEWS
Ask Governor Hochul to Support New York’s History
Please write to Governor Kathy Hochul and ask her to complete the appointments needed to seat the New York State 250th Commemoration Commission. The state cannot receive any Federal funds for projects relating to the 250th anniversary until the commission has been formed. New York State Historian Devin Lander has suggested that contacting the Governor would be helpful. Send a message to the Governor here.
RW250 Advisory Committee
RW250 has been recognized regionally and nationally for our leadership role in coordinating, planning, and offering commemorative events—and there are many more to come! Our Advisory Committee represent community leaders from across the county. We are pleased to welcome four new members to the Advisory Committee:
The Honorable Shelley B. Mayer, State Senator for the 37th District
Milagros “Milly” Peña, Ph.D., President of Purchase College SUNY
Natasha Caputo, Director of Westchester County Department of Tourism & Film
Anne Gold, Executive Director of the Rye Historical Society
See the RW250 website for the full list of officers, corporate board members and Advisory Committee members.
Advisory Board Spotlight!
Joyce Sharrock-Cole, a native of Ossining who serves as the Ossining Village Historian, recently accepted an appointment to the RW250 Advisory Committee. Born in 1976 she paid attention when her elementary school teachers proclaimed the class “Bicentennial babies.” Ossining’s Bethany Art Center, the Sparta and Dale cemeteries, and the Ossining Public Library are some of the venues where Joyce shares her passion for history and genealogy and the stories that have historically been silenced. Her Discovering in Genealogy (D.I.G.) program helps promote self-discovery and a sense of family connection to world history. We are thrilled that Joyce will bring her passion to planning for the 250th commemoration.
NY History Conference Call for Proposals
If you have a proposal for a presentation, panel or roundtable discussion that relates to the Revolutionary War period in New York you should consider submitting it to the New York History Conference, which will take place June 20-21, 2024, at the Cultural Education Center, Empire State Plaza, Albany. Proposals are due January 1, 2024. Click here for details.
EVENTS
Sherwood House Museum
Sherwood House Museum, operated by the Yonkers Historical Society, is open to the public Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m. until November 19, 2023. Learn the history of this 1740 tenant farmhouse and the families who lived there before the Revolutionary War. Docents will guide you through each room and explain the history of the house and its contents. Special private tours can also be arranged with advanced notice. No registration required. Free parking is available on the site. Sherwood House, 340 Tuckahoe Road, Yonkers.
Smith’s Tavern Educational Complex
The Smith’s Tavern Educational Complex, operated by the North Castle Historical Society, is open every Sunday and Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m., excluding holidays. The centerpiece of the site is Captain John Smith’s Tavern, a National Register site which served the public as a stagecoach stop, militia headquarters, town hall, voting place, tavern, and North Castle’s first post office. Visitors can also see the Brundage Blacksmith Shop, East Middle Patent One-Room Schoolhouse, and the 1798 Quaker Meeting House. No registration required. Admission is by donation. Smith’s Tavern Educational Complex, 440 Bedford Road, Armonk N.Y.
King Hancock: The Radical Influence of a Moderate Founding Father
John Hancock is often associated with the radical commencement of the Revolution and his audacious signature at the bottom of the Declaration of Independence, but his politics were not nearly as bold as they may have seemed. Throughout the Revolution, he frustrated both patriots and loyalists alike but remained the most popular and powerful man in Massachusetts through his ability to find middle ground amidst political turmoil. In her new book, historian Brooke Barbier examines the life and leadership of Hancock, whose steadying force and compromise proved the basis of profound social and political change. This event is free on Zoom. To register click here.
Wednesday, November 1, 6:30 p.m. The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati, 2118 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.
Dutchess & Putnam County and the Hudson Valley Land Wars
In the 1760s Dutchess County (which then included Putnam) was a “land in controversy” as landlords, tenant farmers, and the Wappinger fought over who owned the land. First, the Wappinger and tenants joined forces and went to court. When that failed, they took different paths in search of justice. Tenant farmers set up a “mob government,” then faced off against British troops near modern Patterson. The Wappinger sailed to England, where they lobbied Crown officials to restore their homeland. This talk brings to light this largely forgotten episode in the history of the Hudson Valley. Guest speaker Jim Merrell taught American history at Vassar College for 39 years. His research interests focus on Natives and newcomers in early America. This presentation will take place in-person and on Zoom. To register click here.
Thursday, November 2, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Putnam History Museum, 63 Chestnut Street, Cold Spring, N.Y.
Honoring America’s First Female Veteran: The Revolutionary War Service of Margaret Corbin
Celebrate Veterans Day and learn about the Revolutionary War service of Margaret “Molly” Corbin, who dressed as a man and fought alongside her husband in an artillery regiment during the American Revolution. In recognition of her service, Congress awarded Corbin a pension and rations for life. She was the first woman to receive a military pension and to be recognized as a veteran in the United States. The curators of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History will discuss Corbin’s service with Dr. Holly Mayer of Duquesne University. This presentation will take place on Zoom. To register click here.
Thursday, November 2, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, 49 West 45th Street, 2nd Floor, New York, N.Y.
Historical Games
How did people entertain themselves in the past? Join us indoors (outdoors, weather-permitting) at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site to try your hand at all kinds of historical games. Learn the history behind these games and then learn how to play Quoits, Nine Men’s Morris, Shut the Box, Cribbage, Whist, and more! For children and adults.
This event is free, no registration required. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Saturday, November 4 and 18, 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, 29 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, N.Y.
Carving Legends: Walking Tour of Colonial Gravestones
Sleepy Hollow is renowned for the haunting beauty of gravestones crafted by two colonial carvers. Join master carver Robert Neal Carpenter and researcher Char Weigel to explore the art of gravestone carving, learn about these two colonial carvers, and hear the stories of the people, including many Revolutionary War soldiers, whose stones stand in the Burying Grounds. Sponsored by the Historical Society Serving Sleepy Hollow and Tarrytown. Tickets are $25 per person and can be purchased here.
Saturday, November 4 and Sunday, November 5 at 10 a.m. Old Dutch Church, 430 Broadway, Sleepy Hollow.
North and South Redoubts Hike
Protecting the Hudson River, an extremely valuable route for moving goods and people, was a key part of Washington’s plans during the American Revolution. While the sharp curve of the Hudson was defended by the forts that would become West Point, the defenses on the eastern side of the river were the North and South Redoubts in Garrison, N.Y. This history hike will visit both redoubts, discussing the history of chaining the Hudson during the Revolutionary War and how the redoubts helped defend the chain, the river, and the Continental cause.
The hike begins at the North Redoubts trail head, located off of Snake Hill Road in Garrison, between Avery Road and Walter Hoving Road, on the south side of Snake Hill. This 3-mile, moderate to strenuous hike, takes approximately 3 hours round trip. Hiking boots and long pants are strongly recommended. The cost is $15 per person (PHM Members $12). To register click here.
Saturday, November 4, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Putnam History Museum, 63 Chestnut Street, Cold Spring, N.Y.
People of the Opossum: Tracing the Ethnogenesis of the Wappinger People Over the Past Five Centuries
This presentation explores the Wappinger people, an amalgamation of Lenape groups around New York Bay and in the Hudson Highlands, over the course of the 17th century, through the colonial era, and their forced trek westward to their contemporary descendant communities in Wisconsin, Ontario, and Oklahoma. Ethnoecologist Justin Wexler of Wild Hudson Valley has studied Hudson Valley indigenous culture, language, and history for over twenty years, both connecting with their communities in exodus and doing extensive archival work on their recent ancestors.
In-person tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for seniors. Call 914-965-4027 or email sarah.johnson@parks.ny.gov to reserve your spot. Virtual attendance via WebEx is free, but registration is required here.
Wednesday, November 8, 7 p.m. Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, 29 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers N.Y.
2023 Empire State Archives & History Award
Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer and historian Jon Meacham will receive the 2023 Empire State Archives & History Award from the Archives Partnership Trust. The public is invited to hear Meacham speak about his distinguished career and the fascinating historical subjects of his numerous books with interviewer and host Harold Holzer.
The in-person event is sold out. Tickets for the virtual event are $20. Register here.
Wednesday, November 8, 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sponsored by the New York State Archives Partnership Trust, 222 Madison Avenue, Albany, N.Y.
Veterans Day Commemoration & Program
The Veterans Day commemoration in the church at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site will honor veterans buried in the historic cemetery. There will be a talk at 2 p.m. by Ranger Michael Callahan, exploring American military history in the period between the two world wars. This event is free.
Saturday, November 11, 11 a.m. St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site, 897 South Columbus Avenue, Mt. Vernon, N.Y.
Divided Loyalties: The Revolutionary War Along the Aqueduct Walking Tour
Join a free walking tour with Char Weigel (Revolutionary Westchester 250) and Robert A. Lee (Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park) to learn how the Revolutionary War divided neighbors and families into patriots or loyalists. The tour is based on original research on the tenant farmers of the last Lord of the Manor, Frederick Phillips III, and their lives in the dangerous, war-torn contested ground of Westchester County. We’ll be joined by a special guest from the past who will bring these divisions to life!
The tour starts at the Mercy University parking lot next to the Smith Ball Fields in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. The tour may be cancelled for severe weather. Registration required here.
Sunday, November 12, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sponsored by the Old Croton Aqueduct State Historic Park, Revolutionary Westchester 250, and Friends of the Old Croton Aqueduct.
Commemoration of the Battle of Fort Washington
This year marks the 247th anniversary of the Battle of Fort Washington, a key event during the Revolutionary War. Be transported back in time and watch a blacksmith demonstration, listen to live 18th-century music, make arts and crafts, and play games from the revolutionary period. Tour the Fort Washington battle scene with heroine Margaret Corbin. Costumes are encouraged! Pack a picnic lunch and join the fun. Sponsored by the Fort Tryon Park Trust.
Sunday, November 12, noon to 3 p.m. Fort Tryon Park, 1 Margaret Corbin Drive, New York, N.Y.
A Client State or a Great Power? Radicals vs. Moderates in the Diplomacy of the American Revolution
During the American Revolution, American policymakers were divided into two factions: radicals and moderates. Radicals saw the United States as a great power, equal to France and worthy of alliances with as many foreign powers as possible. Moderates, however, doubted American military power and were content to rely on military assistance from France alone. In each case, battlefield results determined who held the upper hand when it came to diplomacy. Radicals prevailed when the war went well, but power quickly shifted in favor of the moderates when it went poorly. Robert Smith, professor of history at Worcester University, discusses the turbulence surrounding American diplomacy during the Revolution and how the Treaty of Paris was the final diplomatic triumph for the radicals. John Jay, one of the U.S. representatives at the Treaty of Paris, grew up in Rye and retired to Katonah.
This event is free on Zoom. To register click here.
Tuesday, November 14, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. The American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati, 2118 Massachusetts Avenue, NW, Washington, D.C.
Benjamin Franklin: His Life and His Role in the American Revolution
Bergen 250/The Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs invites you to a free presentation by Jack Sherry on Benjamin Franklin: His Life and His Role in the American Revolution. This free event is part of the Bergen 250 Revolutionary War Roundtable Speakers Series, sponsored by Bergen 250 and The Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs.
Wednesday, November 15, 7 p.m. One Bergen County Plaza, 1st Floor Multimedia Room, Hackensack, N.J.
Long Island City in 1776: The Revolution Comes to Queens
1775 belonged to Boston but after April 1776, the Revolutionary War’s focus became New York City and the highly strategic Long Island, from Brooklyn’s high ground to Hell Gate in Queens. The failures, defeats and eventual occupation of the area at the hands of the British forged the resolve and strength of character that would later ensure Patriot victories on distant battlegrounds throughout the rest of the colonies. The British did not evacuate western Queens County until November of 1783, but the events of 1776 would not soon be forgotten during the seven long years of occupation that followed. Join author Richard Melnick as he charts the military, political and cultural history 1776 in Long Island City.
This lecture will take place in-person and via Zoom. For details and to register click here.
Thursday, November 16, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl Street, New York, N.Y.
Brigade of the American Revolution Fort Lee Reenactment
Held on the weekend nearest to the actual date of the British invasion of New Jersey and the beginning of the Continental Army’s strategic “Retreat to Victory” in 1776, this annual re-enactment event at Fort Lee Historic Park features music, cooking, artillery demonstrations, and more. A new and dynamic aspect to the event this year is the inclusion of the portrayals of Generals Washington and Greene on horseback; the Generals will give orders and watch the lines of battle throughout the day. The men will be joined by others from the 4th Dragoons acting as Washington’s lifeguards. Arrive before 8:30 a.m. Parking $5 (cash only, collected at entrance)
Saturday, November 18, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Fort Lee Historic Park, Hudson Terrace, Fort Lee, N.J.
Common Sense, a Musical About Thomas Paine
Tutti Bravi Productions will perform a new musical play about Thomas Paine, one of the great writers and intellectual leaders of the American Revolution, who lived in New Rochelle after the Revolutionary War. This event is free.
Saturday, November 18, 1 p.m. St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site, 897 South Columbus Avenue, Mt. Vernon, N.Y.
George Washington’s New York Walking Tour
Join licensed tour guide Bruce Racond to visit the New York City that George Washington would have known from 1776 to 1790. This walking tour explores the people and places in New York City during the Revolutionary War and Washington’s first term as president, including the important contributions of women and African Americans.
Tickets for the walking tour includes complimentary Fraunces Tavern Museum admission. These tours are rain or shine. Tickets are $30 ($25 for museum members) and can be purchased here.
Saturday & Sunday, November 18 & 19, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl Street, New York, N.Y.
Evacuation Day: A Brief History of the End of the American Revolution in New York
The American Revolution officially ended on September 3, 1783, with the signing of the Treaty of Paris. It was a stunning loss for the British Empire, and thousands of British troops and even more Loyalists were still in the American colonies. Although evacuations occurred in all the major Atlantic ports, New York City was one of the largest, and the last to evacuate. The British under General Sir Guy Carleton had begun evacuating New York in August 1783, and all British citizens were to be gone by noon on November 25. Like many Loyalists, the Philipse family went with them, abandoning Philipse Manor for the safety of England. November 25th became known as “Evacuation Day,” and became an early American holiday as the Patriots celebrated their victory and the freeing of New York City from British occupation.
In this talk, Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site programs and events manager Sarah Wassberg Johnson outlines the end of the Revolution and Evacuation Day itself. Learn what happened to the Philipses, Philipse Manor, their tenants, and the people they enslaved following the American Revolution.
Tickets are $6 for adults, $3 for seniors and students and include museum admission. Pay at the door. Virtual tickets are free, register here.
Saturday, November 25, 2 p.m. Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, 29 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers N.Y.