Schoharie Crossing Hosts 11th Annual History Month Lecture Series

Schoharie Crossing Hosts 11th Annual History Month Lecture Series

Schoharie Crossing State Historic Site will host their 11th Annual New York State History Month Lecture Series starting on October 24th at 1pm. This series will cover a wide variety of topics related to state history as it connects to America 250 commemorations.

The Erie Canal historic landmark site will recognize the work of historians by offering Saturday afternoon presentations inside the Enders House, adjacent to their Visitor Center and Museum on Schoharie Street.

On Penalty of Death

Historian Jeff O’Conner will finish up our NYS History Month series on October 24th with the presentation, “On Penalty of Death.” O’Conner takes a look at the late spring of 1776, before the Declaration of Independence as Loyalists began recruiting in the region. This program uncovers the actions surrounding Sir John Johnson the Tryon County Committee of Safety discovering Johnson’s agents were going door to door seeking support and that the details of those discussions were not to be made public “on Penalty of Death.” What transpired in the committee’s investigation reveals much about the forming of a Loyalist community while the American Revolution began unfolding on New York’s western frontier. As Crown support solidified, the chain of events that followed would affect this community, its neighbors, and the entire region for the duration of the American Revolution. This is a story not usually told locally but helps us understand some of the strange doings in New Dorlach during the war; there is also a peek into how a Loyalist community could endure it.

NYS History Month

NYS History Month was established in 1997 as a way to recognize historians, scholars, curators, preservationists, librarians, archivists, genealogists, re-enactors, and educators across the state. The month has evolved to also celebrate and promote New York’s rich and complex history in public places as we honor the essential role we all have to document our heritage and the importance of safeguarding it for future generations.

These programs are free and open to the public. They are held inside the Enders House on Schoharie Street, Fort Hunter, adjacent to our Visitor Center and Museum. For more information, please call the Visitor Center: 518-829-7516 or email SchoharieCrossing@parks.ny.gov. Schoharie Crossing, PO Box 140, 129 Schoharie Street, Fort Hunter, NY 12069.