December News & Events from RW250
NEWS
RW250 Roundtable Book Group
The British Are Coming: The War for America, Lexington to Princeton, 1775-1777 by Rick Atkinson is the next RW250 Roundtable Book Group selection.
The discussion will take place on Sunday, January 21 at 4 p.m. on Zoom.
To register click here.
The Institute for Thomas Paine Studies at Iona University is once again joining RW250 as a cosponsor. Dr. Michael Crowder, ITPS Public Historian, will moderate the discussion.
The first book in the Pulitzer Prize-winning author’s Revolution Trilogy recounts the first twenty-one months of America’s violent war for independence. From the battles at Lexington and Concord in spring 1775, to the Battle of White Plains in the fall of 1776 and to those at Trenton and Princeton in winter 1777, American militiamen and then the ragged Continental Army take on the world’s most formidable fighting force. It is a gripping saga alive with astonishing characters: Henry Knox, the former bookseller with an uncanny understanding of artillery; Nathanael Greene, the blue-eyed bumpkin who becomes a brilliant battle captain; Benjamin Franklin, the self-made man who proves to be the wiliest of diplomats; George Washington, the commander in chief who learns the difficult art of leadership when the war seems all but lost. The story is also told from the British perspective, making the mortal conflict between the redcoats and the rebels all the more compelling. Full of riveting details and untold stories, The British Are Coming is a tale of heroes and knaves, of sacrifice and blunder, of redemption and profound suffering.
Get your copy from a local library or bookseller and plan to join us on January 21.
Revolutionary Rye 250 Formed
RW250 president Constance Kehoe was pleased to join more than 30 invitees to the in-person and virtual kick off meeting of Revolutionary Rye 250 on November 28 at the Rye Free Library. McGuire will serve as co-chair of the steering committee along with Jennette Cummins. Anne Gold, new executive director of the Rye Historical Society initiated the kick-off meeting and will be a key organizer of the planning for the commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. Those joining on Zoom included the presidents of Purchase College, Milly Peña, and Manhattanville College, Frank Sanchez.
Gold serves on the RW250 advisory committee along with Peña and Dr. Lisa Keller, professor of history at Purchase, who also joined on Zoom.
Pictured are (left to right) Kehoe, McGuire and Gold.
Revolutionary 250 North Salem
In September North Salem announced Revolutionary 250 North Salem. Town Historian Susan Thompson is working with a team from the North Salem Historical Society, the Town of North Salem and the Ruth Keller Memorial Library and others. Recently Susan shared the logo the team developed. Susan and Library program director Caroline Reznick both attended the Countywide 250th Summit.
Advisory Committee Spotlight!
Natasha Caputo, Director of Westchester County Tourism & Film, (left) and State Senator the Honorable Shelley Mayer (right) both recently accepted appointments to the RW250 Advisory Committee. Their enthusiasm for highlighting the history of Westchester County was evident this past July 11. Here, in White Plains City Hall, Natasha and Shelley are pictured with Jonathan Kruk (center) following Jonathan’s dramatic reading of the Declaration of Independence on the steps of City Hall. RW250 is thrilled to have had their active encouragement and involvement over several years and appreciate their willingness to add their thoughtful voices to the Advisory Committee.
Pictured are (left to right) Caputo, Kruk and Mayer.
EVENTS
Taking Manhattan
The history of New York City tells a complex story of competing identities and ambitions among the Indigenous tribes that long populated the area and European powers who sought to colonize the new world. Historian and author Russell Shorto will talk about how the Dutch created the colony of New Netherland, why the English wanted it, and how the clash between these two cultures and the local inhabitants resulted in the unique entity that became New York. Mr. Shorto is the director of the New Amsterdam Project at the New York Historical Society and a senior scholar at the New Netherland Institute. Admission is free. The event takes place at the Main Street School, 101 Main Street, Irvington, N.Y.
Friday, December 1, 7 p.m. Irvington Historical Society, 131 Main Street, Irvington, N.Y.
Candlelight Tours of Sherwood House
The Yonkers Historical Society is holding its annual Candlelight Tours at Sherwood House, one of the few remaining pre-Revolutionary War fully furnished tenant farmhouses in the New York Metropolitan area. Admission is free and there is a Holiday Boutique in the Weed Caretaker’s Cottage, where merchandise and refreshments are made available. Visitors are welcome to tour the second oldest house in Yonkers with friendly and knowledgeable volunteers as your guides. No registration is required.
Saturday, December 2 and Sunday, December 3, 1 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. Sherwood House, 340 Tuckahoe Road (at the southbound entrance to the Sprain Brook Parkway), Yonkers N.Y.
The Diversity of Revolutionary War Experiences
Richard Forliano, long-time Eastchester Town Historian and a retired history teacher, explores the diversity of experiences among local residents in the era of the American Revolution, using Eastchester, New York as an example. No reservations are necessary for in-person attendance. To receive the link to the livestream of the event click here.
Saturday, December 2, 3 p.m. Saint Paul’s Church National Historic Site, 897 S. Columbus Ave., Mt. Vernon, N.Y.
Washington’s Farewell to His Officers Reenactment
On December 4, 1783, George Washington and his officers met at Fraunces Tavern to say an emotional farewell. Stand in the room where it happened for a special reenactment and opportunity to talk with Washington himself before he returns to Mount Vernon! $1 reserves your space at one of four timed reenactments and also gives you admission to the museum to see the current exhibitions. To learn more and to register click here.
Sunday, December 3, 12:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Fraunces Tavern Museum, 54 Pearl Street, New York, N.Y.
Feeding Washington’s Army: Surviving the Valley Forge Winter of 1778
In his new history of the Continental Army’s Grand Forage of 1778, military historian Ricardo A. Herrera uncovers what daily life was like for soldiers during the darkest and coldest days of the American Revolution at the Valley Forge. Here, the army launched its largest and riskiest operation—not a bloody battle against British forces but a campaign to feed itself and prevent starvation or dispersal during the long encampment. Herrera brings to light the army’s herculean efforts to feed itself, support local and Continental governments, and challenge the British Army. Highlighting the missteps and triumphs of both General George Washington and his officers as well as ordinary soldiers, sailors, and militiamen, Feeding Washington’s Army moves far beyond oft-told, heroic, and mythical tales of Valley Forge and digs deeply into its daily reality, revealing how close the Continental Army came to succumbing to starvation and how strong and resourceful its soldiers and leaders actually were. For details on this free Zoom presentation and how to register, click here.
Tuesday, December 5, 7:30 p.m. The American Revolution Round Table of New York.
God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America’s Most Hated Man
For more than two centuries, all most Americans have ever known about Benedict Arnold is that he committed treason—yet he was more than a turncoat. He was a superb leader, a brilliant tactician, a supremely courageous soldier and one of the most successful military officers of the early years of the Revolutionary War. His capture of Fort Ticonderoga, his Maine mountain expedition to attack Quebec, the famous artillery duel at Valcour Island and the turning point at the Battle of Saratoga all laid the groundwork for our independence. Although his new book doesn’t exonerate Arnold for his treason, historian Jack Kelly forces us to reexamine our understanding of Arnold by offering a fresh new perspective on the events and decisions that led to his momentous change of heart and the permanent stain on his character. For additional information and to register for the free virtual presentation click here.
Thursday, December 7, 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.
Warm Up at Washington’s Headquarters
As the days get chillier, you are invited to warm up at Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site in Newburgh. Historic interpreters in each seasonally decorated room will greet visitors who will learn about the period when the Washingtons occupied the Hasbrouck farmhouse during the last winter of the Revolutionary War. Listen to live 18th-century music as you learn about events that happened while General Washington was headquartered here, the longest stay at any of his wartime headquarters, and how the Hasbrouck House became the first publicly owned historic site in the nation. Admission is free for this open house, compliments of the Friends of the State Historic Sites of the Hudson Highlands. Please call 845-562-1195 for more information.
Saturday, December 9, noon to 3 p.m. Washington’s Headquarters State Historic Site, 84 Liberty Street, Newburgh, N.Y. Rain/snow date for this event is Sunday, December 10th.
Holiday Open House at the Jacob Purdy House
The White Plains Historical Society invites you to a wassailing celebration with hot spiced cider and cookies at the historic Jacob Purdy House. Stop by for a neighborly visit and see the National Historic Register Site dressed for the holidays!
Monday, December 11, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Jacob Purdy House, 60 Park Avenue, White Plains, N.Y.
Lt. Lemuel Snow, Patriot and Pioneer
While serving for eight years in the Revolutionary War, Lt. Lemuel Snow, like most of the Massachusetts Line, spent most of his time in the Hudson River Valley. From Peekskill to Saratoga, Valley Forge, Monmouth, and Providence he endured the hardships that every soldier faced. He was a witness to the execution of André, was at Verplanck’s Point with his regiment to greet Rochambeau and with Washington for the British evacuation of New York City and Washington’s farewell. After the war, he returned to Barnstable, Massachusetts before taking his family West to settle in what would become Indiana. Speaker and Putnam History Museum Trustee Kirk Moldoff will tell this epic tale of one man’s love of country and family. The program will take place in-person and be live-streamed on Zoom. The cost is $10 per person (PHM Members free). To register click here.
Wednesday, December 13, 7 p.m. Putnam History Museum, 63 Chestnut Street, Cold Spring, N.Y.
Defiance of the Patriots: The Boston Tea Party and the Making of America
On the night of December 16, 1773, a party of Bostonians boarded three British vessels and dumped over three hundred chests of tea into Boston Harbor. In addition to objecting to taxation without representation, the participants were also protesting the Tea Act of 1773, which forced them to pay a tax on top of the monopoly prices set by the East India Company and benefitting the family of the royal governor of Massachusetts. To commemorate the 250th anniversary of this harbinger of the Revolution, Benjamin Carp, professor of history at Brooklyn College, discusses the event by examining the actions of those who carried out the raid in the context of the global story of British interests in India, North America and the Caribbean. For additional information and to register for the free virtual presentation click here.
Wednesday, December 13, 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.
George Washington at New Jersey’s Middlebrook
Bergen 250/The Bergen County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs invites you to a free presentation by Paul F. Soltis on George Washington at New Jersey’s Middlebrook. 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, December 13, 7 p.m. One Bergen County Plaza, 1st Floor Multimedia Room, Hackensack, N.J.
Holiday Event at St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site
Join us for our annual Wreaths Across America program, in conjunction with the national celebration, honoring service members buried at St. Paul’s. Historic musician Erik Lichack and associates will give a holiday recital, with harpsichord, voice and some selections on the Erben pipe organ. The Westchester Squadron of the Civil Air Patrol will also participate in the wreath-laying event. These events are free and no registration is required. To join the livestream of the concert register here.
RW250 is pleased to be the cosponsor of the holiday music program and will participate in placing our wreaths during the ceremony in the historic graveyard.
Saturday, December 16, noon (wreath laying) and 2 p.m. (music). Saint Paul’s Church National Historic Site, 897 S. Columbus Ave., Mt. Vernon, N.Y.
Historical Games at Philipse Manor Hall
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. For children and adults. This event is free, no registration required. Children must be accompanied by an adult.
Saturday, December 16, 3 p.m. Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, 29 Warburton Avenue, Yonkers, N.Y.
Religion in Colonial America: An Exploration
St. Paul’s Church National Historic Site historian and educator Maria Byrne explores religion in Colonial America. This will be a free in-person presentation and offered as a livestream. No reservations are necessary for in-person attendance. To receive the link to the livestream of the event click here.
Saturday, December 30, 1 p.m. Saint Paul’s Church National Historic Site, 897 S. Columbus Ave., Mt. Vernon, N.Y.