Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York

Happy Halloween from Fraunces Tavern Museum! We present you with the George Washington Birthday Ball / Halloween mash-up you didn’t know you needed. Can you spy Director Scott Dwyer? They say he’s always been the caretaker Benefit Committee tickets on sale now: https://bit.ly/2Jg51ES

In lieu of our usual in person gathering, we have put together a virtual Commemoration to honor the sacrifice patriot spy Nathan Hale made for our burgeoning country. Join Nathan Hale Day Chairman Michael Coneys, as well as SRNY President Peter C. Hein, Yale Club President Neil Hohmann and Borough of Manhattan Parks Commissioner William Castro, as they talk about the significance Nathan Hale has to each of their organizations.

New podcast alert! As part of Fraunces Tavern Museum’s Tavern Week celebration, Tavern Talks hosts Mary Tsaltas-Ottomanelli and Allie Delyanis sit down with Loy...cent Gordon and Edward Wendell from Neirs Tavern to discuss each building’s storied history and bright future. #WeGotPlans Listen to the full episode: https://qoo.ly/388bzy See more

As we get ready for the Museum’s first-ever virtual Trivia Night (next Thursday, August 27), we’re sharing some of our favorite historical facts about New York ...City. This week’s #TriviaTuesday takes us back to the 17th century and the city’s longstanding relationship with oysters. New York City was once the oyster capital of the world, with archeologists dating some shells found in New York harbor back to 6000 B.C. and were a staple in the Lenape diet. In the 1600s, European settlers described the oyster beds as stretching all the way up the island, with oysters measuring as large as a foot long, and surrounding nearly the entire shoreline around the island of Manhattan. The building Fraunces Tavern Museum and Restaurant call home is on Pearl Street, which comes from the Dutch Paerlstraat, and denotes that the street was covered with discarded oyster shells after shucking for pearls. Oysters were a staple on the menu when Samuel Fraunces operated the Tavern. He offered them a few different ways: picked, fried, or fresh from the harbor. By the 19th century oysters were sold almost everywhere, from food carts to high-end restaurants. Between the expansion of the city’s shoreline, overharvesting, and increase of waste dumped into the water, the oyster population was nearly extinct going into the 20th century. By 1927, oysters were unsafe to eat. In recent years, the city has taken steps to help rebuild the oyster population. Launched in 2014, the Billion Oyster Project’s mission to install oyster reefs throughout the five boroughs and bring back the beloved seafood snack. Join us on Thursday, August 27 at 7:00pm for more New York City trivia. Register: https://qoo.ly/37r4xq

We’re excited to announce the reopening of Fraunces Tavern Restaurant this Saturday, August 1 at 12:00pm! The Restaurant will offer outdoor dining along Pearl S...treet seven days a week from 12:00pm to 11:00pm and will be following strict CDC guidelines (including mandatory face coverings for staff), regularly and thoroughly disinfecting surfaces and implementing social distancing measures. On Saturday, enjoy live music from 2:00pm to 5:00pm and craft beer, cocktails, and whiskey all day long! While the Museum is still closed to the public, we encourage you to raise a glass to history at the Restaurant and check out all of our virtual programming.

Join us next Thursday, July 16 at 6:30pm for a virtual lecture with author T. Cole Jones about his book Captives of Liberty: Prisoners of War and the Politics o...f Vengeance in the American Revolution. In this lecture, Jones examines how America's founding generation grappled with the problems posed by prisoners of war, and how this influenced the wider social and political legacies of the Revolution. As the British denied customary protections to their American captives, the revolutionary leadership wasted no time in capitalizing on the prisoners' ordeals for propagandist purposes. This cycle of violence spiraled out of control, transforming the struggle for colonial independence into a revolutionary war. This lecture will take place using Zoom. Register on our website, and you will receive an email with a link to the lecture the afternoon of July 16. Registration ends at 12:00pm on July 16. Register: https://qoo.ly/36xwan

Join us this Wednesday, June 17 at 6:30pm for a virtual lecture with George Washington's Mount Vernon Historian Mary V. Thompson for a discussion about her boo...k, The Only Unavoidable Subject of Regret: George Washington, Slavery, and the Enslaved Community at Mount Vernon. In this lecture, Thompson offers a comprehensive account of those who served in bondage at Mount Vernon. Drawing on years of research in a wide range of sources, Thompson brings to life the lives of the enslaved while illuminating the radical change in Washington’s views on slavery and race wrought by the American Revolution, ending in his decision to grant his slaves freedom in his will. Register here: https://qoo.ly/36jdjc

Our traditional Flag Day Parade, Celebration, and Open House could not occur this year in lower Manhattan due to the COVID-19 pandemic, so we have chosen to commemorate Flag Day with a brief video featuring members of SRNY's leadership. While this is no substitute for our annual festivities, we encourage all of you to reflect upon the country and what the flag means to you at a time when the words of our Pledge of Allegiance, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all," are more relevant than ever: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XStq-h4LRak&feature=youtu.be

Happy Memorial Day from Fraunces Tavern Museum! Did you know there are over 270 war memorials located in New York City parks? Although the Museum remains closed... to the public, we propose you observe this day by visiting a Revolutionary War memorial in your area. In 1873, New York became the first state to observe this holiday, originally known as Decoration Day, and it was declared a federal holiday in 1971. The Maryland Monument (image one), located in Prospect Park, honors the bravery of the Maryland 400, Continental Soldiers that sacrificed their lives to hold off Cornwallis’ troops for Washington and his men to escape after the Battle of Brooklyn. You can also explore Fort Greene Park and visit the Prison Ship Martyrs Monument (image two), dedicated to the estimated 11,000 men and women who died on British prison ships anchored on the East River. Since 1892, Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York have placed over 50 historical tablets, statues, and monuments around the city, such as the tablet dedicated to Colonel Marinus Willet (image three), located on the corner of Broad and Beaver Streets. Explore a list of war memorials in your neighborhood here: https://bit.ly/36uETh7

Join us TOMORROW, Thursday, May 21 at 6:30pm for a FREE Virtual Lecture with White House historian Lindsay M. Chervinsky, Historian on her book The Cabinet: Ge...orge Washington and the Creation of an American Institution. In this lecture, Chervinsky will explore the creation of the first presidential cabinet. Washington modeled his new cabinet on the councils of war he had led as commander of the Continental Army, tinkering with its structure throughout his administration. As Washington faced an increasingly recalcitrant Congress, he came to treat the cabinet as a private advisory body to summon as needed, greatly expanding the role of the president and the executive branch. This lecture is free and will take place using Zoom. Fill out the form on our website to register, and you will receive an email with a link to the lecture the morning of May 21. Registration closes on May 21 at 12:00pm: https://qoo.ly/35umj8

Fraunces Tavern Museum has partnered with Untapped New York for our first-ever Virtual Lecture for Insiders! On Thursday, May 7 at 12pm ET, join Programs & Eve...nts Assistant Mary Tsaltas-Ottomanelli to explore the history of 54 Pearl Street, the home of Fraunces Tavern Museum and Restaurant, its significance to the American Revolutionary era, and the efforts to restore and preserve the building over the last 300 years. This live talk is organized for Untapped New York Insiders, and will be broadcasted via Zoom. Insiders will have the ability to ask questions in a Q&A section at the end. Fraunces Tavern Museum is a member of Untapped New York's Insiders Program, a members-only club giving you access to virtual tours, talks, access to NYC’s most off-limits places, free admission to museums and much more. Get two months FREE with code STAYHOME. Register: https://qoo.ly/35rsc9

#OnThisDay, April 28, 1780, Cuban representative Juan de Miralles died at George Washington's camp at Morristown, New Jersey. Born into a wealthy Havana merchan...t family, Miralles was sent to the colonies in 1777 as an observer for Spain and met with the Continental Congress in Philadelphia on their behalf, encouraging trade between the colonies and Cuba, and he was quite successful. By 1781, over half of the ships coming into Philadelphia originated in Havana. He also presented Congress with Spain’s desired outcome for the war: the return of the Florida colony to Spanish control. In 1779, Spain officially entered the war, but not as an American ally. Spain was hesitant to openly support another imperial colony's revolt, so it instead entered into a treaty with one of America’s allies, France. This allowed Spain to support the Revolutionary War without explicitly supporting the colonies’ desire to separate from Great Britain. During his time in the colonies, Miralles developed a strong relationship with General Washington and his wife Martha, and developed a deep sympathy for the Patriot cause. In the spring of 1780, Miralles came down with pulmonic fever, and although he was treated by Washington's personal doctors, eventually succumbed to the illness. Learn more about the role both Spain and Cuba played during the American Revolution, and how their efforts helped the Patriots win, on the latest blog post: https://qoo.ly/35qru2

#OnThisDay, April 22, 1774, the Sons of Liberty planned their own "tea party," dumping 18 chests of British tea into New York Harbor. Programs & Events Assistan...t Mary Tsaltas-Ottomanelli explores the New York Tea Party and the early days of #revolutionary New York on the FTM Blog. Read the whole story: https://qoo.ly/35meh9 See more