The Hudson Valley During the American Revolution

The Dutch settled the Hudson Valley in the early 17th century. The Hudson Valley was of great commercial and military importance during the pre-revolutionary period. During the American Revolution the Hudson was a strategic waterway and the site of many historic events, especially in the region of Newburg and West Point. Many battles were fought and many lives were changed by the Revolution in the Hudson Valley.

In the pre-revolutionary period the Hudson Valley was of great importance. In 1765 the Stamp act Congress met to shake the existing government established by the English. American opposition to the Stamp Act began shortly after its passage in March 1765. The colonists were fed up with “taxation without representation”, and desired change. The Stamp Act Congress met in New York City in October 1765. Delegates from nine colonies attended, and petitioned the king for repeal of the act, denouncing it as taxation without representation. Many British merchants joined in this appeal. Their exports of manufactures to the colonies had increased markedly since 1750 and they feared the effects of American refusal to pay commercial debts amounting to millions of pounds. On October 31, the day before the Stamp Act was to go into effect, 200 merchants in New York City vowed to stop importing British goods, beginning the First No importation Movement. Then they joined storekeepers, artisans, sailors, and laborers in a mass protest meeting. On the next night, 2000 residents surrounded the fort where the stamps were being guarded and then plundered the house of a British officer (French, pg 56). These mob actions prompted the lieutenant governor to ask General Thomas Gage, the British military commander...

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...ourage of the people in the Hudson Valley and the rest of the nation, society would not be the same.

References:

Boylan, Brian Richard. Benedict Arnold: the dark angel: New York, Norton, 1973

Jones, Thomas. History of New York during the Revolutionary War: New York, New York Times, 2008

Ferguson, E. James. The American Revolution, A general history 1763-1790: Homewood, Dorsey Press, 2004

Hickey, Andrew S. The story of Kingston, First Capital of New York State 1609-1952: New York, Stratford House, 1952

Fried, Marc, B. The Early History of Kingston and Ulster County: Marble town, New York Ulster County Society, 1975

French, Allen. The First years of the American Revolution: New York, Octagon Books, 1968

Crowley, James. The Old Albany County and American Revolution: Troy, New York, Historian Publishing Company, 1979