Burning of Kingston

03/27/2026

At the Burning of Kingston, we exhibit ways in which woodworking was done - an incredibly important skill of the time since wood was used for almost everything, from furniture to housing to carts, tools, and more.
Woodworking in American colonial times relied on hand tools, using local hardwoods like oak, maple, and pine. Skilled joiners, turners, and carpenters created structures, tools, and furniture using traditional joinery, such as mortise and tenon, to build functional, often English-influenced pieces.
Craftsmen utilized hand tools such as adzes, saws, chisels, planes, and drawknives, often relying on imported British tools or items forged by local blacksmiths.

03/24/2026

The Burning of Kingston is always a great time to ask questions - like what was life like in 1777? why did the British burn our fair town? what was life like for villagers, soldiers, militia, the enslaved, smugglers, and German Hessians?
You may find that while life was quite different back then, the issues we face today were similar to those of people in 1777.

Burning of Kingston 2026 - October 15-18th

03/11/2026

WHAT WAS BEHIND THE BOSTON TEA PARTY?
The British impose a new law on the colonies called the Tea Act, which is intended to stop smuggling and support the bankrupt East India Company. The act is deeply unpopular and prompts 50 to 60 Bostonians crudely dressed as Native Americans to dump 46 tons of British tea into the Boston Harbor. The British government responds by cracking down on Massachusetts, hoping to contain the rebellion.

Official website: https://to.pbs.org/amrevpbs | British impose a new law on the colonies called the Tea Act, which is intended to s...

03/08/2026

Kingston was a hotbed of goods smuggling in the Revolution. So let's take a look at the smuggling trade.
This deep dive video explores the commerce crisis that nearly ended the Revolution before independence was declared — and the quiet, dangerous defiance that kept America alive when survival depended on the sea.

In the winter of 1776, the American Revolution faced a threat that muskets couldn’t solve.The British Navy tightened its grip on the coastline.Supplies vanis...

03/05/2026

Can you imagine? no microwaves, stoves, air fryerss, dishwashers, non-stick pans, refrigerators, tupperware...the list goes on.
Colonial American cuisine was characterized by seasonal, locally sourced, and hearty fare deeply influenced by British, Dutch, and Native American traditions. Common meals revolved around preserved pork, venison, stews, root vegetables, corn-based dishes like johnnycakes and porridge, and staple desserts like apple pie, often washed down with cider or beer.

03/01/2026

John Conway, the Sullivan County historian and executive director of the Delaware Company, which operates the Fort Delaware Museum, announced the shift in focus for this year’s programming. The upcoming events are set to highlight the brutal local realities of the Revolutionary War, specifically how the conflict fractured the community into warring Loyalist and Patriot factions.

MONTICELLO - John Conway, the Sullivan County historian and executive director of the Delaware Company, which operates the Fort Delaware Museum, announced the s

02/27/2026

Can you even imagine surgery and dentistry in 1777?! We can and will exhibit the tools of the trade and share insights into what Revolutionary War medical treatment was like at this year's Burning of Kingston!

02/25/2026

The Battle of Saratoga occurred just before the Burning of Kingston.
"the pivotal turning point of the American Revolution, the Battle of Saratoga. In the end, an unforgiving New York forest terrain and sharp-shooting frontiersmen proved too much for the British Redcoats marching down the Hudson River.

After the British defeat at Saratoga, America secured a major boost in its war efforts by gaining the official support of France. This new European ally would be crucial to the success of the Patriot cause."

History Channel "Story of Us" clip showing the pivotal turning point of the American Revolution, the Battle of Saratoga. In the end, an unforgiving New York ...

02/23/2026

THE ARTS DURING THE REVOLUTION

"Prints created during the Revolutionary War by American, British, French and other Continental printmakers offer unique insights on how contemporaries—artists, engravers and their audiences—viewed the people, events and ideas of the American Revolution.

"Illustrated prints served as one of the most accessible forms of mass communication and conveyed a visual language for political messages with clarity and emotional resonance.

By the middle of the eighteenth century, prints had become an important medium for disseminating information about news and events. European artists had also raised printmaking to new heights of technical sophistication. As either illustrations in books and pamphlets or as separately published works, prints were collected by a growing number of consumers for whom fine prints were a sign of refined taste and engagement with public affairs. Specialty print shops in European cities served this consumer market and exhibited new prints in elaborate displays designed to attract connoisseurs and casual buyers. American printmaking lagged far behind European printmaking during the eighteenth century, but the American Revolution created a market for printed portraits of American leaders and depictions of events in America. These images often carried propagandistic tones and were sometimes hastily produced, yet they provided a sense of immediacy and conveyed how contemporaries viewed the unfolding events."

These ten great Revolutionary War prints, created by British, American, and French artists and engravers document the war for independence in rich detail.

02/21/2026

War has never solely been a male endeavor. Winning requires the help and participation of the entire population. This frequently occurred during Colonial times. Women performed many invaluable roles that helped secure the nation’s freedom. Along with supporting the war effort at home, several women even fought as soldiers, acted as couriers and engaged in espionage. Here are a few of their stories.

Read the complete history of the Daughters of Liberty during the American Revolution and the history of the many women of the American Revolutionary war.

02/19/2026

Indentured servitude in colonial New York allowed thousands of European immigrants (10–25% of arrivals) to secure passage by signing contracts to work for four to seven years, covering food, housing, and labor, with many ultimately gaining freedom, land, or "freedom dues". While harsh and restrictive, they differed from enslaved people by having legal rights and, eventually, freedom.

Servants were primarily English, Irish, German, or Scottish, often fleeing poverty or trading debt for a new life.

Following 1650, improved conditions in Europe reduced the supply of servants, and after the Revolutionary War, the system fell sharply.

Body During the Colonial Period, thousands of immigrants who wanted to leave Europe for New York did so by entering into indentured servitude. Their contracts usually afforded them the expensive passage to the colonies as well as room and board for a fixed number of years in return for their labor.....