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Summary
Tales of New York State history from the pages of the award-winning New York Archives.
For readers interested in uncovering the history of the Empire State, The Best of New York Archives highlights some of the most popular articles of the unique, award-winning publication—as told through the records of the men and women who made it.
Home to some of the United States’ most important historical treasures, the New York State Archives serves as steward for more than two hundred million records of New York’s colonial and state governments from 1630 to the present. Contributions from Pulitzer Prize winners to best-selling authors mine this wealth of information to tell lively and engaging stories of New York State’s rich history. From the pages of The Best of New York Archives, nearly four hundred years of history comes alive.
“…people will remember this book most vividly for its remarkable photographs, all in black and white, and very well reproduced … This volume is truly a treasure.” — Lake Champlain Weekly
“Anyone with even the least interest in Empire State history will find sections in the book to enjoy. Stories are relatively short, and they become a bit addictive. Most who open this volume will find themselves reading much more broadly than they had planned.” — Adirondack Daily Enterprise
“The book is a boon of information for historical enthusiasts and academics alike.” — Syracuse Post-Standard
“By evoking the Flushing Remonstrance, Evacuation Day, the women’s suffrage movement, and other pivotal episodes in the state’s history, The Best of New York Archives reminds readers that, as Columbia’s Ken Jackson likes to say, ‘America begins in New York.’” — Sam Roberts, New York Times
“The New York State Archives is full of rich documents that serve as gems—they reflect and reveal transformations in national and world history. You’ll find many of those gems presented here, and New York’s vibrant history comes to life through the eyes of those who lived through it.” — Kimberly Gilmore, Senior Historian, History Channel/A+E Networks
“The Best of New York Archives is a treasure trove of compelling essays that inform and expand understanding. The selected narratives reflect the essential role the New York State Archives plays in the preservation of the fascinating and wide-ranging particulars of New York State’s history. As a bonus, the sampler is a storehouse of golden nuggets useful to deflate any annoying know-it-all whose behavior cries out for it.” — Harry Rosenfeld, author of From Kristallnacht to Watergate: Memoirs of a Newspaperman
“An original, authoritative, and entertaining walk through Empire State history—provided by a who’s who of leading historians and all inspired by the unparalleled treasures in the New York State Archives.” — Harold Holzer, Jonathan F. Fanton Director, Roosevelt House Public Policy Institute at Hunter College
The New York State Archives Partnership Trust is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization established in 1992 to develop support for Archives’ programs not funded by the state. Thousands of New Yorkers with a passion for history have joined together to make the State Archives and the documents in its collection more accessible to all through membership and annual fund support of the Trust. While it complements and expands the reach of the State Archives, the Trust defines new ground in developing partnerships for preservation, access, education, and outreach programs that extend beyond the availability of state funded activities.
New York Archives magazine is a benefit of Trust membership. This award-winning publication is a shining example of collaboration between the New York State Archives and Trust with history enthusiasts, scholars, and other historical repositories around the Empire State, bringing untold stories and extraordinary happenings to light.
Table of Contents
Foreword Acknowledgments
Early New York, the 1600s and 1700
1. New York’s First Constitution: Sketching a Map for Becoming American Edward Countryman
2. Re-Examining Slavery in New York A. J. Williams-Myers
3. The Battle on Snowshoes Joseph F. Meany, Jr.
4. Navigating the Deep Margaret B. Schram
5. Citizen vs. Citizen John Hanna, Jr.
6. In the Matter of Goody Garlick George DeWan
7. The Princes of Queens Peggy Cornett
8. Good Peter and the Governor Alan Taylor
9. The She-Merchant of Manhattan Jean Zimmerman
10. New York Patriot V. T. Dacquino
11. The Importance of Flushing Russell Shorto
12. A Peaceful Indian Nation Shirley W. Dunn
13. Spies of the Revolution John A. Burke and Andrea Meyer
14. Evacuation Day Jennifer Steenshorne
15. In Search of Truth Margaret Washington
New York in the 1800s
16. The Poetry and Prose of the Emancipation Proclamation Harold Holzer
17. Writing and “Righting” the History of Woman Suffrage Mary E. Corey
18. Speaking with the Dead: The Fox Sisters Jeanne Mackin
19. Saratoga Springs: Evolution of a Resort Field Horne
20. West Point: The “Key to America” Joseph P. Franklin, Major General, U.S. Army (Retired)
21. Reclaiming a Reputation Laurence M. Hauptman
22. The Ongoing Fable of Baseball Mark McGuire
23. Self-Taught American Scientist Ed Landing
24. Rebellion in the Catskills Dorothy Kubik
25. The Boy Murderer Rachel Dickinson
26. A Case of Trouble Andrew W. Arpey
27. “Why, Soldiers, Why?” Thomas Fleming
28. The Man Who Won the West Travis M. Bowman
29. “Failure Is Impossible” Kimberly Troisi-Paton
30. The World’s Greatest Miser Charles Slack
31. The Untidy Origins of Women’s Rights Lori D. Ginzberg
32. Freedom for a Stranger Dennis J. Connors
33. “A Good, Pure, and Natural Story” William G. Andrews
34. The President’s Benefactor Warren F. Broderick
35. The Female Mark Twain Kate Winter
36. When Hops Were King G. William Beardslee
37. The Forestport Breaks Michael Doyle
38. “Adversity’s Sweet Milk” G. William Beardslee
39. Gang of Brothers E. Fuller Torrey
40. “Poor Little Innocents” Julie Miller
41. “These Pimps of Piracy” Ron Soodalter
42. The Scourge of Summer Edward P. Kohn
43. Mark Twain and Elmira Mark Woodhouse
44. The Conspirator Who Got Away G. William Beardslee
45. Divorce Decreed Ilyon Woo
New York in the 1900s
46. Rockefeller in Retrospect Joseph E. Persico
47. Freedom Fighters from Buffalo Glenn T. Johnston
48. Oscar García Rivera, Political Pioneer Félix V. Matos Rodríguez
49. Gangbuster in the Governor’s Office Richard Norton Smith
50. Freedom of the Screen: Joseph Burstyn and The Miracle Laura Wittern-Keller
51. Awash in New York: A Chronicle of the City’s Floating Baths Ann L. Buttenwieser
52. The Endless Summers of Chautauqua Marilyn Mathews Bendiksen
53. Under New Management: The Legacy of the Jewish Catskills Phil Brown
54. Martha Matilda Harper: The Business of Beauty Sally Parker
55. Curación en el Norte (“The Cure” in the North) Amy Catania
56. Made in New York Robert A. Slayton
57. Water and War David Stradling
58. The Biggest Playground on Earth Woody Register
59. Island of the Skies George DeWan
60. “A Remarkable Woman” Peter C. Engelman
61. The Sweetheart of the A.E.F. William F. Howard
62. Black Beach Tricia A. Barbagallo
63. New York Masterpiece Robert A. Slayton
64. The Case of the Independent Women Melanie Rehak
65. Conscience in the Classroom Charles F. Howlett
66. Murder in Chinatown Mary Ting Yi Lui
67. Thunder on the Hudson Charles F. Howlett
68. A Self-Made Woman Mark Fleisher
69. Pioneer of Light Rayvon Fouché
70. Salesman of the American Dream Joshua Ruff
71. Watchdogs of the State Philip A. Bean
72. FDR and His Early Fireside Chats Geoff Storm
73. The Golden Tubes Linda J. Lumsden
74. Shippen’s Hole Faren R. Siminoff
75. The World’s First Video Game Mona S. Rowe
76. The Man Nobody Knew C. Evan Stewart
77. “Sympathy for Revolutionaries” Frank Donegan
78. The Impeachment of Governor Sulzer Matthew L. Lifflander
