Fraunces Tavern Museum

In this lecture, recorded September 27, 2021, author and SRNY member Ric Murphy will speak about his family genealogy, and his ancestors who fought in the American Revolution, serving in New York, Massachusetts and North Carolina regiments. Their story is covered in Ric’s book, Freedom Road, which also details Ric’s ancestors who fought in the War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, World War II, Korean War and Vietnam War.

In honor of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Tavern Week, this special lecture celebrates Samuel Fraunces, a revolutionary tavernkeeper and Patriot during the Revolutionary War. Presented on September 13, 2021 by Special Programs and Engagement Manager Mary Tsaltas-Ottomanelli, the lecture will explore the mysteries surrounding his early life, highlight his life in New York City and Philadelphia, and his relationship with General Washington.

In this lecture, recorded August 19, 2021, Patrick O’Donnell discusses how the Marbleheaders repeatedly altered the course of events during the Revolution—from forming the elite Guard that protected General Washington to ferrying Continental forces across the Delaware River on Christmas night of 1776. White, Black, Hispanic, and Native American, this uniquely diverse group of soldiers set an inclusive standard the US Army would not reach again for more than 170 years.

In this lecture, recorded July 8. 2021, author Claire Bellerjeau speaks about her new book Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution. In January 1785, a young, enslaved woman from Oyster Bay named Elizabeth was put on board the Lucretia in New York Harbor, bound for Charleston, where she would be sold to her fifth enslaver in just 22 years. She had no idea that Robert Townsend, a son of the family she was enslaved by, would locate her, safeguard her child, and return her to New York—nor how her story would help turn one of America’s first spies into an early abolitionist.

Why did over 600 Native Americans from dozens of nations meet in Pittsburgh? Just how bad did it smell inside the hull of a prison ship in 1776? Who was the only woman listed on the Declaration of Independence? In this lecture, recorded June 24, 2021, historical novelist Karen Chase will explore lesser-known figures, facts, and realities of the American Revolution.

In this lecture, recorded May 6, 2021, historian Mike Bunn offers the first comprehensive history of the British colony of West Florida. For a host of reasons, the colony has long been dismissed as a loyal but inconsequential fringe outpost. But the colony's history showcases a tumultuous political scene featuring a halting attempt at instituting representative government; a host of bold and colorful characters; a compelling saga of struggle and perseverance in the pursuit of financial stability; and a dramatic series of battles on land and water which brought about the end of its days under the Union Jack.

During the summer of 1776, patriots worked frantically to head off a British invasion from Canada. Their effort culminated in a wild three-day naval battle on Lake Champlain in northern New York. In this lecture, recorded April 22, 2021, Jack Kelly argues that, although the campaign has often been neglected by historians, its success was an important impetus to Washington's decision to cross the Delaware and attack Trenton.

In this lecture, recorded April 1, 2021, Michael Hattem discusses his book Past and Prologue: Politics and Memory in the American Revolution. Between the 1760s and 1800s, Americans stopped thinking of the British past as their own history and created a new historical tradition that would form the foundation of what future generations would think of as "American history." This process, Hattem argues, played a critical role in the founding of the nation.

In this lecture recorded March 11, 2021, Donald Johnson explores how, in the midst of British military occupation, men and women from a variety of backgrounds navigated harsh conditions, mitigated threats to their families and livelihoods, took advantage of new opportunities, and balanced precariously between revolutionary and royal attempts to secure their allegiance. In so doing, Johnson argues that these people and their experiences shaped the course of the Revolution, gradually discrediting Britain’s ability to govern the former colonies and rotting their attempts to restore order from the inside out.

Despite America’s newly won independence, a bitter dispute over whether to have a capital and where to locate it almost tore the young nation apart. In this lecture recorded February 18, 2021, Robert Watson discusses the pivotal role played by George Washington in the struggle over the placement of America’s capital.

The 16 months from the Boston Tea Party to the Battles of Lexington and Concord changed the course of American history. In this lecture, recorded on February 4, 2021, Mary Beth Norton explores what is known as the "long year" of the American Revolution, a time when once-loyal colonists began their discordant "discussions," leading to the acceptance of the inevitability of a war against the British Empire.

Everyone knows about the Revolutionary War, but few know of Benjamin Franklin's secret plan to turn the northern and southern colonies against their oppressors, and how the freeing of one enslaved man, Somersett, was the catalyst for the colonies to come together against the crown. In this lecture, Phillip Goodrich discusses the little-known story behind the origins of the Revolutionary War and explains how several well-known but random events during the war culminated in the creation of the United States of America.

In this lecture, Thomas E. Chavez discusses Spain's key role in the birth of the United States. From monetary support to naval engagements and ground warfare, Spain's involvement turned a revolution into a world war, and greatly aided the Patriot victory.

By now, most everyone has heard of the hit Broadway musical Hamilton: An American Musical. In this lecture, Robert Watson examines some of the little known, intriguing aspects of the Founder's remarkable life, including his Jewish roots and hard scrabble upbringing. This talk also features a fun fact-checking of the musical and a look at the backstory of some of the show's main scenes.

While historians often treat General Charles Lee as an inveterate enemy of George Washington or a great defender of American liberty, author Christian McBurney argues that neither image is wholly accurate. In this lecture, recorded October 16, 2020, McBurney will discuss his research into a more nuanced understanding of one of the Revolutionary War's most misunderstood figures.

Preserving the Past is a digital lecture that takes a comprehensive look at the architecture, design, and history of 54 Pearl Street, one of the oldest buildings in New York City. Led by Museum historian Mary Tsaltas-Ottomanelli, the lecture explores three hundred years of the building’s history – from its early construction on some of the city’s oldest landfill, to the extensive restoration in the 20th century, to how the building continues to survive surrounded by skyscrapers.

In March 1783, as negotiations to end the Revolution were well underway, an anonymous letter circulated through the Continental Army's camp near Newburgh, New York. It called for the officers to meet--outside the chain of command--and act boldly to strong arm Congress to deliver on their long overdue pay and desperately needed pensions. But was the letter the officers’ idea alone? Or were they put up to it by politicians in Philadelphia eager to grow the power of the central government? And how far were the angry officers willing to go? Replace General Washington? March on Congress? In this lecture, recorded September 24, 2020, David Head takes a fresh look at the episode--known as the Newburgh Conspiracy--and asks whether a plot was really in the works and where the danger of the moment really lay.

What do we lose when our bars are shuttered? These can seem like frivolous spaces, but they have played an important role in American history. In this lecture, recorded September 16, 2020, Christine Sismondo explores the role of bars across the country's history, including the colonial era, Prohibition, the 1960s, and today. This lecture was held as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's first Tavern Week.

In this lecture, recorded August 20, 2020, Phil Holland explores the many forms taken by the Black presence at this critical patriot victory, from the Black soldier who died in battle as a member of Col. Seth Warner's Continental regiment of Green Mountain Boys, to the sources of wealth that funded the New Hampshire troops at the battle.

Just six months after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, George Washington and the new American Army sit on the verge of utter destruction by the banks of the Delaware River. Rather than submit to defeat, Washington and his small band of soldiers crossed the ice-choked Delaware River and attacked the Hessian garrison at Trenton, New Jersey on the day after Christmas. He followed up the surprise attack with successful actions along the Assunpink Creek and at Princeton. In this lecture, recorded August 6, 2020, Maloy will discuss the stunning military campaign that allowed Washington to turn the tables, and breathe life into the dying cause for liberty during the Revolutionary War.