Empire State History

Join me after a long hiatus for an episode dedicated to Sojourner Truth. Truth was an abolitionist, pioneer of women's rights, preacher, Union Army recruiter and wore many other hats during her time. Her roots are right here in Ulster County NY in the heart of the Hudson Valley. In this episode I do a whirlwind biographical history of Sojourner Truth, of course followed by my usual tips on how to...

In this episode come along and visit the most famous fortress in North America, Fort Ticonderoga! This upstate NY fort in the Adirondacks nestled between Lake Champlain and Lake George played a crucial role in two conflicts. We will cover the importance of the fort in both the Seven Years War and the American Revolution and later on how the ruins of the fort were restored and turned into a public...

This month I have something a little different for you. Instead of one specific site or town of historic significance to visit, we are exploring a theme. The theme is of course Christmas in New York! In this episode you will discover how crucial New York was in the formation of the Christmas holiday icons, imagery, and traditions we know and love today. We will run into our old friend Washington I...

In this episode of Empire State History, we travel to the capitol of New York Albany. We will meet the original inhabitants of the Albany area the Mohawks and Mohicans. We'll also learn about the Dutch, English and later American colonists, the Revolution, and the 19th century period of economic growth in Albany. Finally, we will visit the Capitol building and the Plaza. The sites we will visit ar...

Halloween season is finally here in Sleepy Hollow Country! In this episode enjoy some of the most haunting and historic folklore stories from Sleepy Hollow Country. Meet the Lady in White of Raven's Rock, the Star Maidens of Spook Rock, Captain Kidd the Pirate, Hulda the good witch of Sleepy Hollow, and of course the Headless Horseman. History and Legend go hand in hand in Sleepy Hollow; while enj...

In this episode join us back in Sleepy Hollow Country. This is part 2 of our 3 part series on Sleepy Hollow, Tarrytown, and Irvington collectively known as Sleepy Hollow Country. Part 2 covers the 19th century focusing on the area's most famous resident, author Washington Irving. Enjoy a mini bio of Irving's life and times. You will also get to hear some samples of his writing. Next we move on to...

Hey everyone welcome back! In this episode we will go into the history and folklore of one of the best known towns in the Hudson Valley, Sleepy Hollow. We will dive into the Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving and discuss the colonial and Indigenous history of the region. We will also cover the history of enslavement in NY and the four main cultures which create the unique cultural histor...

In this episode I explore the conflict between the French, British and their respective Indigenous allies known as the French and Indian War. Scenic Lake George New York was the site of battles, massacres, and sieges between 1755 and 1757 and saw some of the bloodiest fighting of the war. These events inspired NY author James Fenimore Cooper to write the great American novel The Last of the Mohica...

In this episode of the podcast I delve into the fascinating and inspiring narrative history of Eleanor Roosevelt. The first part of the episode is a mini-bio of her life and times and the latter part is a guide of how to visit the site and what you can expect to see there.   https://www.nps.gov/elro/index.htm Here's the park website to help you plan your visit. Tours are free and run hourly on the...

In Episode 2 I dive into the history of and how to visit FDR National Historic Site aka Springwood in Hyde Park NY. Springwood was the home of president Franklin Delano Roosevelt. The site also contains the visitor's center and the Presidential Library and museum which contains a huge amount of interpretive signs about FDR and interactive exhibits. Here's the website to help plan your visit  https...

Welcome to our very first episode of Empire State History and thank you for joining us on this journey! This podcast will be a historical narrative with information on how to visit the fantastic historic sites we have here in New York. For our first episode we visit Fort Montgomery a Revolutionary War fort attacked and destroyed by the British in 1777. See more show notes and photos at our website...