Historic markers
Nearly a third of all Revolutionary War battles were fought here
Nearly one-third of all Revolutionary War battles were fought in New York./
The Fourth of July marks the end of British rule and the birth of America. Since 1777, the tradition of setting off fireworks to commemorate the nation’s independence has been a staple of the federal holiday.
But the holiday is more than just a prime time to watch pyrotechnics or host a cookout. Nearly one third of all battles during the Revolutionary
War were fought in New York — with many pivotal conflicts focused on gaining control of the Hudson River — making the Fourth the perfect time to revisit the history of Independence Day in the region.
While there are numerous fireworks displays planned throughout the region, some towns across the Hudson Valley have canceled largescale celebrations, parades and barbecues. In their absence, Revolutionary War historical sites have organized programming that includes tours and colonial-era dem
quarters of the 18-year-old Underground Railroad Education Center.
Douglass’ fiery speech, delivered on July 5, 1852, to the Rochester Ladies’ Anti-slavery Society, was a scathing indictment of the continuing practice of slavery in the United States.
Referring to the Declaration of Independence’s assertion that “all men are created equal,” Booth said, “The hypocrisy of that statement rang true for
Douglass that day and rings true in the ears of so many today.”
Booth’s remarks interwove reflections on the contemporary relevance of Douglass’ words with ideas from “The Third Reconstruction,” a 2016 book by William J. Barber II. A North Carolina minister and activist, Barber founded the Poor People’s Campaign: A National Call for a Moral Revival, a social movement named after the original 1968 campaign founded by Martin Luther King Jr.
The first Reconstruction, in the final third of the 19th century, and the second, in the 1950s and 1960s, led to significant advances in civil rights for Black Americans, Booth told the audience on Saturday. The third began with the 2008 election of Barack Obama. But, she said, all three were met by significant political opposition and social backlash.
“The fight for equality and justice continues today,” Booth said.
The Underground Railroad Education Center was founded in 2003, born from research into local efforts in the Underground Railroad by Paul and Mary Liz Stewart, who continue to run the center today. The center has led the ongoing restoration of the Myers residence, which it purchased in 2004.
“This place ... really epitomizes what history should be — bringing history into the community,” said David Hochfelder, a history professor at Ualbany, director of the university’s Public History Program and board member of the Underground Railroad Education Center.
Mayor Kathy Sheehan,
another speaker at Saturday’s event, acknowledged that longstanding racial bias and discrimination played a large role in the state of the impoverished neighborhood around the Myers residence. Sheehan vowed to address some of the problems with money from the American Rescue Plan. The federal relief
funding is giving $350 billion to state and local governments to0 cover the costs of fighting the pandemic and offset the drop in tax revenues it caused.
Albany is due to receive $80 million.
Although a city task force is still studying how to allocate the windfall,
Sheehan said, “I am committed ... to investing in communities left behind and destroyed by practices of the past.”