ALBANY, N.Y. (NEWS10) — This week in New York history features the abolition of slavery in the state, the state’s Fourth Provincial Congress endorsing the Declaration of Independence, and the Saratoga Performing Arts Center opening its doors for the first time. All information has been provided by the New York State Museum History Department.
July 3
- 1782: Deborah Sampson, a woman who had disguised herself as a man to fight in the American Revolution, is injured at the Battle of Tarrytown.
- 1924: KKK held its convention (“Klorero”) in Binghamton with 2,500 to 4,000 people attending.
July 4
- 1609: Samuel de Champlain shoots and kills two Iroquois chiefs at Ticonderoga, setting the tone of French-Iroquois relations for the next 150 years.
- 1774: Orangetown Resolutions was adopted in the Province of New York, one of many protests against the British Parliament’s Coercive Acts.
- 1817: Governor Dwight Clinton breaks ground for the construction of the Erie Canal near Rome.
- 1827: Abolition of slavery in New York State.
- 1839: The first meeting of tenant farmers who would later lead the Anti-Rent War in Berne.
- 1855: Walt Whitman publishes “Leaves of Grass.”
- 1857: The Dead Rabbit Riots in Five Points, Manhattan begins between the Dead Rabbits gang and the Bowery Boys.
- 1884: The Statue of Liberty was formally presented to U.S. Minister to France Levi Parsons by Ferdinand Lesseps, representing the Franco-American Union.
- 1940: Franklin D. Roosevelt opens the country’s first presidential library.
- 1943: Journalist Geraldo Rivera is born in Brooklyn.
- 1976: The New York State Museum opens at its current location at the Cultural Education Center in the Empire State Plaza.
- 2004: The cornerstone of the Freedom Tower is laid on the site of the World Trade Center in New York City.
July 5
- 1776: New York’s Fourth Provincial Congress meets in White Plains’ Courthouse and endorses the Declaration of Independence. Four days later, on July 9, New York declared independence from Britain.
- 1813: War of 1812. Three weeks of British raids on Fort Schlosser, Black Rock, and Plattsburgh begin.
- 1852: Frederick Douglass delivers his “What to the slave is the 4th of July?” speech in Rochester.
- 1989: Premiere of Seinfeld.
- 2006: The Emergency United Nations Security Council meeting is held at the U.N in New York City because of the North Korean missile tests a day before.
July 6
- 1777: British forces capture Fort Ticonderoga during the American Revolution.
- 1864: Elmira Prison opens to house Confederate prisoners.
- 1919: A British dirigible lands in New York at Roosevelt Field. It completed the first crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by an airship.
- 1928: “The Lights of New York” was previewed in New York’s Strand Theatre. It was the first all-talking movie.
- 1988: Several popular beaches close in New York City due to medical waste and other debris began washing up on the seashores.
July 7
- 1834: The Farren Riots, a series of anti-abolition riots in Five Points, Manhattan begins.
- 1982: Massive rally and strike by Chinatown local of the ILGWU in Columbus Park, New York City.
July 8
- 1758: The Battle of Carillon (Ticonderoga).
- 1839: John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil, is born in Richford.
July 9
- 1776: New York approves the Declaration of Independence and organizes an independent government.
- 1776: A group of Patriots pulled down a statue of King George III in what is today Bowling Green Park in New York City.
- 1955: Actor Jimmy Smits, known for his roles in “NYPD Blue,” “Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith,” and the FX TV show “Sons of Anarchy,” is born in Brooklyn.
- 1966: The Saratoga Performing Arts Center (SPAC) opens for the first time with a performance of George Balanchine’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” by the New York City Ballet.
- 1991: “Little Night Music” opens at New York State Theater NYC for 11 performances.
