Cornelia Cotton Gallery

07/09/2026

, July 9, 1776, George Washington read the Declaration of Independence aloud to an assembly of over 1,000 on the Common in New York City, today’s City Hall Park. The Common could accommodate a crowd of both the military and private citizens. The reading would boost the military’s morale and gain support from citizens in a city dominated by Loyalists.

The plan was set. In his orders, Washington wrote that Congress “impelled by the dictates of duty, policy and necessity” had “been pleased to dissolve the Connection” with Great Britain. The brigades were to assemble at 6pm that evening, and readers were chosen to present the Declaration before each separate brigade so that all could hear each word.

His thinking paid off. Samuel Blachley Webb, an aide-de-camp, wrote in his journal that, “Agreeable to this day’s orders, the Declaration of Independence was read at the Head of each Brigade; and was received by three Huzzas from the Troops.” Caleb Clapp, an ensign from Massachusetts, echoed this praise.

Some overzealous Patriots raced to Bowling Green and toppled the two-ton statue of King George. Patriots then loaded the pieces into wagons and sent them to the Wolcott Family Orchard in Connecticut where they were melted down and formed into 42,088 musket balls. Washington, however, was not pleased and described it as “so much the appearance of a riot and want of order.”

The news of the Declaration spread quickly throughout the colonies. The “Pennsylvania Evening Post” printed the entire document followed by the “Pennsylvania Gazette.” John Dunlap printed 200 copies to be sent by courier to all the colonies and military to be read aloud to those who could not read.

Meanwhile, the New York Provincial Congress, which had struggled with the idea of independence, directing its representatives in Congress to reject any notion of independence, moved to White Plains. On July 9, this newly elected body became ”The Convention of Representatives of the STATE of New York" and adopted the Declaration, making ratification unanimous.

Image: “Washington, The Man of Action,” by Frederick Trevor Hill, 1914.
New York, London : D. Appleton and Co

02/15/2026

01/10/2026

Save the Date!

On Saturday & Sunday, November 14-15, 2026, Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site and Johnson Hall State Historic Site are partnering to highlight the experiences of Loyalists throughout the Revolutionary War in New York with a public symposium, "Declaring Dependence: Loyalists in Revolutionary New York." Hosted by Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site in-person (at 29 Warburton Ave. Yonkers, NY) and online, this symposium will feature panels and presentations from historians of all backgrounds, focused on New York State's Loyalist history.

CALL FOR PROPOSALS
Philipse Manor Hall & Johnson Hall State Historic Sites invite historians (academic, public, and/or local), students, museum professionals, living history interpreters, and researchers to submit papers or proposals on Loyalists in New York, including but not limited to:

• Black Loyalists and enslaved populations,
• Indigenous allies and neutral parties,
• Military personnel, including Loyalist, provincial, refugee, and other units
• Espionage and spycraft
• Civilians, including women, tenant farmers, freeholders, etc.
• Prisoners of war and political prisoners,
• Political violence and abuse of Loyalists, before, during, and after the war
• The Loyalist diaspora, including Loyalists in exile abroad, refugees, and those expelled or displaced post-war
• Daily life in British-controlled New York City
• Loyalist perspectives on politics, battles, etc.
• Ongoing or upcoming efforts to bring Loyalist history to the public eye

Both finished research papers/talks and in-process research are of interest.
We especially encourage proposals highlighting previously under-represented communities and stories.

Presentations may be as long as 40 minutes. Those submitting in-process research may be allocated a 15 minute lightning round. Those wishing to apply as a complete panel of up to 3 speakers may do so. Individual applicants may be placed on panels by the proposal committee.

Please include with your proposal:
1. Your name, affiliation/institution, and location
2. The paper/proposal title
3. A 200-300 word abstract of your proposal/paper
4. A curriculum vitae (CV – no longer than 2 pages) with links to any published research

Please submit all proposals as PDF attachments to [email protected] no later than Monday, July 6, 2026.

For more information, visit https://www.philipsemanorhall.com/programs-and-events/symposium-declaring-dependence-loyalists-in-revolutionary-new-york

11/28/2025

Special Holiday Gifts!

Collectibles, local ephemera, old prints of the Hudson River, Ireland, Scotland et al, good used books, jewelry, Croton items, African, Asian and art of all kinds, old postcards, posters, garden artifacts, and many other eclectic items.