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How New York State has led the way in expanding freedom for all over the last 250 years.
Revolutionary New York celebrates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution and the many historical changes that have occurred since, as reflected through the history of the state. This book explores "unfinished revolutions" in the Empire State: the two-and-a-half century struggle to realize the revolution's ideals and bring increased freedom and opportunities to previously marginalized populations. The book presents the pageant of revolutionary New York through sixteen historical stories about conflict, change, and turning points. From the initial settlement of the region through the state’s first constitution, through struggles for civil and equal rights, women's rights and gay rights, through innovations in industry and commerce, to the crises 9/11 and COVID, New York has charted its own course. It has often led the nation toward expanding its peoples' rights. These are inspirational, against-the-odds stories where a determined individual or a group struggled against the status quo to improve social conditions, move toward equality, or effect social justice. Most are about ordinary New Yorkers who rose to the occasion in their time and achieved extraordinary results. And though drawn from over 250 years of history, these stories resonate today, where some of the same issues linger, though in different form. New York seems to be always undertaking, in the midst of, or finishing some sort of revolution. Restless New Yorkers rarely accept the status quo but rather are inclined to alter the state of affairs to (hopefully) make things better. In New York, the revolution never ends.
"From Indigenous uprisings and the building of the Erie Canal to suffrage and LGBTQ+ rights, New York State has long been at the forefront of America's most significant social transformations. This book explores the people, places, and pivotal moments that shaped a more just and inclusive society—revealing how New Yorkers challenged injustice, redefined freedom, and left a lasting impact on our nation. Excelsior!"." — Jennifer Lemak, Chief Curator of History, New York State Museum
"Sparked by the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution this work spans New York history from Native people to the COVID-19 pandemic, linked together by the idea of social change. Each topic stands on its own (giving readers plenty to ponder) but when taken together the book shows how truly dynamic and revolutionary New York society was and is. Read every essay and explore in the diversity and progressive spirit of New York." — Richard F. Hamm, SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, University at Albany
"Revolutionary New York is a timely and important addition to the historiography of New York State. Bruce Dearstyne has assembled a team of expert authors who illustrate that New York State has been, and continues to be, a site of revolutions. As our state and nation commemorates the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in 2026, it is important to note that New York State has been at the forefront of the struggle for the ideals put forth in the Declaration of Independence, which very much continues today." — Devin R. Lander, New York State Historian
Introduction
1. 1763 to 1784: The Oneida Rebellions
Daniel Koch
2. 1777: New York State's Birth
Bruce W. Dearstyne
3. 1812: Cyrenius Chapin: Buffalo's Doctor and Hero in the War of 1812
Thomas Rosenthal
4. 1825: Clinton's Ditch: The Birth of the Erie Canal
Brad L. Utter, with Thomas X. Grasso
5. 1839 to 1846: The Anti-Rent Rebellions
Nancy Newman
6. 1852 to 1860: The Lemmon Case and Slavery in New York State
Albert M. Rosenblatt
7. 1885: Welcome to the Club: Louise Blanchard Bethune, Breaking Barriers for Women in Architecture
Kelly Hayes McAlonie
8. 1911: The Triangle Fire and the Velvet Revolution in Workplace Safety
Daniel Kornstein
9. 1916 to 1918: Black New Yorkers in World War I: The Extraordinary Achievements of the 369th Infantry, the Famous "Hell Fighters"
Anthony F. Gero
10. 1917: How New York Women Won the Vote
Susan Ingalls Lewis
11. 1920: Prohibition in New York City
Ellen NicKenzie Lawson
12. 1960: Radical Roots: The Rise of the United Federation of Teachers and the First Teachers' Strike in New York City
Dennis Gaffney
13. 1963: The Empire State Plaza and the Remaking of Downtown Albany
C. R. Roseberry
14. 1969: The Stonewall Uprising and the Fight for Gay Rights
Ashley Hopkins-Benton
15. 2001: The 9/11 Attacks and Their Aftermath
Bruce W. Dearstyne
16. 2020 to 2022: Inside the COVID-19 Era: New York City Parks as Witness
Kevin C. Fitzpatrick
About the Contributors
Selected Bibliography
Index