Office of State History

The New York Study of Public and Private Museums is a sort of 'census' of all chartered museums in the state of New York, conducted on behalf of Empire State Development, New York State Council on the Arts, New York State Parkes, Recreation and Hi...

The following are some examples of Women’s History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Check back often for updates. Hands-on History: Elizabeth Cisco! Saturday, March 1, 2025 1:00pm Rufus ...

The following are some examples of Black History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State.  Check back often for updates. Hands-on Black History: Oysters! Saturday, February 1, 2025 1:00pm King...

The New York History Conference is accepting proposals that deal with the history, culture, economy, politics, geography, anthropology, or archaeology of New York State. We also welcome proposals that use New York’s history as a lens to understand...

The New York History Conference is accepting proposals that deal with the history, culture, economy, politics, geography, anthropology, or archaeology of New York State. We also welcome proposals that use New York’s history as a lens to understand...

The following are some examples of Native American Heritage Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Celebrating Contemporary Indigenous Artists Across New York Saturday, November 2, 2024 11:00am N...

The New York State 250th Commemoration Commission will be holding a meeting on Wednesday, October 23rd beginning at 10:00am. The meeting is open to the public and will take place at the Seneca Art & Culture Center at Ganondagan State Historic ...

This episode delves into New York State’s role in the War of 1812, which is often considered America’s “second war of Independence.” With a particular focus on the State Historic site at Sackets Harbor, we learn the particularly important role tha...

The New York History Conference is accepting proposals that deal with the history, culture, economy, politics, geography, anthropology, or archaeology of New York State. We also welcome proposals that use New York’s history as a lens to understand...

The following are some examples of Hispanic Heritage History Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Fun Film Fridays: Hispanic and Latinx Month Edition Friday, September 13, 2024 - 02:30 2:30pm New Yor...

This episode focuses on culinary history and the Pomeroy Foundation’s Hungry for History program. We discover that the history of what we eat, and how we eat it, can tell us much about ourselves and our shared pasts. Markers of Focus:...

  As New York State prepares to host the oldest state fair in the nation, this episode tells the history of the summertime tradition of agricultural fairs and how they developed from gatherings of learned societies into the popular attract...

Find statewide history at your fingertips.The idea for this website is to provide an online conduit for information exchange between the New York’s historical field and the work of the NYS Museum Office of State History.  The website includes...

This episode tells the story of Lady Christian Henrietta Caroline “Harriet” Acland, aristocratic wife of Major John Dyke Acland, who commanded the British 20th Regiment of Foot during the Burgoyne campaign of 1777. When Major Acland was wounded an...

This episode tells the story of Ronek Park, a non-discriminatory housing development built in 1950 in the village of North Amityville. Unlike the many housing developments created in the post-WWII U.S. that followed the practice of redlining and d...

The following are some examples of LGTBQ+ Pride Month Events and LGBTQ+ History Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Capital-Saratoga Capital Pride 2024 Sunday, June 9, 2024 12:00pm Washington Pa...

The New York State 250th Commemoration Commission will be holding a meeting Wednesday, May 15th beginning at 10:30am. The meeting is open to the public and take place at the New York State Museum’s Huxley Theater, located at 22...

May is Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month and in celebration this episode highlights the community history of Manhattan’s Chinatown, one of the oldest and largest Chinese and Chinese American communities in the United States. The ...

The following are some examples of Women’s History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Check back often for updates. Womens History Month: Art of Georgia O’Keefe Saturday, March 2, 2024 10:00a...

The following are some examples of Black History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State.  Check back often for updates. Black History Month: Science Pioneers Family Program Saturday, February 3...

New York History invites submissions for a special volume on the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution in New York to be published by Cornell University Press in Spring 2026. New York was a leading participant in the Revolutionary process a...

On this month’s episode, Devin and Lauren explore the story of Plymouth Freeman, a black Patriot who served in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and discuss how disenfranchised communities have harkened back to the promises outl...

New Deadline: January 12, 2024 The New York History Conference is still accepting proposals that deal with the history, culture, economy, politics, geography, anthropology, or archaeology of New York State. We also welcome proposals that use Ne...

For our first episode of this new season, we’re celebrating Native American Heritage Month with a conversation regarding how historians can center authentic indigenous voices and work with Native American communities across the state in planning f...

The following are some examples of Native American Heritage Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Homeschoolers: Lenape Day: Honoring their Culture and Influence Thursday, November 2, 2023 1:00p...

The New York History Conference is accepting proposals that deal with the history, culture, economy, politics, geography, anthropology, or archaeology of New York State. We also welcome proposals that use New York’s history as a lens to understa...

For our season finale, Devin and Lauren tell the story of the Fox sisters, who rose to fame as early practitioners of modern spiritualism in the 19th Century. Margaretta and Catherine Fox were able to convince many people that they could commune w...

On this episode, Devin and Lauren tell the story of the Florence Farming and Lumber Association, a settlement of free African Americans in Oneida County beginning in 1846. The Association was the creation of abolitionists Gerrit Smith and Stephen ...

On this episode, Devin and Lauren learn about an enclave of restaurants, bars and resorts that catered to predominately Latin American clientele near the Catskill Mountains. As more and more Latinos immigrated to New York City for work, they began...

Juneteenth is the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. The origins of the commemoration date back to June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, first heard that the Civil War had ended and they we...

Please save the date for this new annual history conference! The New York State Museum, State Library, State Archives, and the New York State Archives Partnership Trust, in collaboration with the Hudson River Valley Institute at Marist College ...

The following are some examples of LGTBQ+ Pride Month Events and LGBTQ+ History Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Capital-Saratoga BIPOC Pride 2023 Saturday, June 10, 2023 12:00pm BIPOC Pride ...

On this episode, Devin and Lauren delve into the history of the Dutch patroon system in New York state, and tell the story of the anti-rent movement of the 19th Century, during which tenant farmers banded together to (sometimes, violently) oppose ...

For Women’s History Month, Devin and Lauren tell the story of Dr. Mary Walker: physician, heroine of the Civil War, and the only woman in history ever to be awarded the Medal of Honor. Born to progressive parents in western New York, Walker would ...

This article originally appeared on the WAMC Podcasts website. On this episode, Devin and Lauren discuss a William G. Pomeroy marker recognizing the contributions of the Mossell family in western New York, and their efforts to successfully inte...

The following are some examples of Women’s History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Check back often for updates. Capital Region How Women Won the Vote, Part 1 Thursday, March 16, 2023...

The following are some examples of Black History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State.  Check back often for updates. New York City Driving While Black: Race, Space, and Mobility in Ameri...

This article originally appeared on the WAMC Podcasts website. On this episode, Devin and Lauren tell the forgotten story of Boston Corners, which once belonged to Massachusetts, but was ceded to New York state by an act of Congress in 1855. Th...

This article originally appeared on the WAMC Podcasts website. Believe it or not, the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution is right around the corner. On this episode, Devin and Lauren discuss how some state agencies and communities are...

This article originally appeared on the WAMC Podcasts website. In this episode, Devin and Lauren tell the story of Verdelle Louis Payne from Ithaca in Tompkins County, who joined the Army Air Forces during WWII and became a pilot. During the wa...

The following are some examples of Native American Heritage Month events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Check back often for updates. Corn Husk Dolls Tuesday, November 1, 2022 3:30pm Greenbelt Nature ...

New York State’s history community is dynamic and diverse. In October, historians, scholars, curators, preservationists, librarians, archivists, genealogists, re-enactors, and educators will work together to promote the education and appreciatio...

It’s a new season of A New York Minute in History! In this episode, Devin and Lauren dig into the 19th Century discovery of a mastodon skeleton in Orange County. The “Orange County Mastodon” was one of the earliest, if not the first, complete...

This article originally appeared on the WAMC Podcasts website. On this episode, Devin and Lauren visit New York’s oldest continuously operating courthouse, located in the City of Johnstown in Fulton County. Built in 1772 by Sir William Johnson,...

Juneteenth is the commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States. The origins of the commemoration date back to June 19, 1865, when enslaved African Americans in Galveston, Texas, first heard that the Civil War had ended and they ...

The following are some examples of LGTBQ+ Pride Month Events and LGBTQ+ History Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Capital-Saratoga Capital Pride 2022 Parade & Festival Sunday, June 12, 2022 ...

This article originally appeared on the New York State Education Department website. Once again, we are left with an overwhelming sense of grief that is so deep and so raw we can hardly begin to process it. We grieve for the innocent lives take...

This article originally appeared on the WAMC Podcasts website. On this episode, Devin and Lauren discuss a William G. Pomeroy marker recognizing a 1900 auto race in Suffolk County, New York, and the importance of racing in automobile history. W...

This article orginally appeared on the WAMC Podcast website. In honor of Women’s History Month, Devin and Lauren highlight a Pomeroy marker in Tioga County and tell the story of Corporal Margaret Hastings, a member of the Women’s Army Corps who...

  The following are some examples of Women’s History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Check back often for updates. Capital Region Mrs. Mary Potter of Schenectady, New York Saturday,...

The following are some examples of Black History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State.  Check back often for updates. New York City New-York Historical Society “Read Until You Understand: ...

The New York State Museum is in the process of creating a webpage dedicated to New York State’s Commemoration of the 250th anniversary of the American Revolution. The webpage will contain events, resources, and information about New York’s Commemo...

This article originally appeared on the WAMC Podcasts website. On this episode, Devin and Lauren tackle all of New York's historical markers at once — sort of. Devin and Lauren discuss how the state's historical marker program got started, what...

We are saddened to announce the passing of Dr. Oscar Williams. Dr. Williams was an Associate Professor in the Department of Africana Studies at the University at Albany and a member of the New York History Journal Advisory Board. He will be g...

This article originally appeared on the WAMC Podcast website. In this episode, Devin and Lauren discuss the “Burned Over District,” and how upstate New York became a “cauldron” of emergent religions and alternative communities during the 19th c...

It is with heavy hearts that we announce the passing of Ruth Piwonka. Ruth was Village of Kinderhook Historian and a local expert on Dutch New York History. She will be missed by the entire New York State History community. https://www.hudsonva...

This article originally appeared on the WAMC Podcasts website. On this episode of A New York Minute in History, Devin and Lauren delve into the public health industry that emerged in New York in the 19th century. As the understanding of medicin...

The newest issue of New York History is now available. This special issue focuses on Attica's Legacy at 50 and can be viewed here. A sample article by Heather Ann Thompson can be read here.  

Devin and Lauren dive into the history of Timbuctoo, an African American settlement founded by philanthropist Gerrit Smith in response to an 1846 law requiring all Black men to own $250 worth of property in order to vote in New York state. To coun...

The following are some examples of LGTBQ+ Pride Month Events and LGBTQ+ History Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Capital-Saratoga "Pride Center of the Capital Region Panel Exhibition" New Y...

This episode investigates the life and times of Audrey Munson, America’s first supermodel. Born and raised in upstate New York, Audrey Munson would go on to become the most famous artist's model of the Gilded Age, posing for many of the top Amer...

This article originally appeared on the WAMC website. WAMC is proud to announce that it has won three Excellence in Broadcasting Awards from the New York State Broadcasters Association. In the 55th annual competition, WAMC won in the followi...

The following is a message from A New York Minute in History and RTDNA. A New York Minute in History has been awarded a Regional Edward R. Murrow award for Best Podcast by the Radio Television Digital News Association. The Radio Television D...

This season of A New York Minute in History features a brand new format. Each episode will delve into a chapter of New York’s history through a topic introduced by one of the William G. Pomeroy Foundation’s historic markers, which collec...

Women’s History Month Events The following are some examples of Women’s History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Check back often for updates. Capital Region “Women of Science: the Ama...

  In recognition of Black History Month, the New York State Museum is offering educational resources and programs for classroom teachers, educators, and the public from our collections, exhibits, and research. The resources and programs ca...

Following the attempted coup that took place at our nation's capital on January 6th and the continuing calls for violence and anti-democratic extremism led by former-President Trump and elected Republicans in Congress, please read the following st...

Just in time for the November election, New York History, published by Cornell University Press, is featuring an article by historian Marsha E. Barrett titled "Millionaires are More Democratic Now: Nelson Rockefeller and the Politics of ...

Today’s historical community is as dynamic as it is diverse. It includes scholars, curators, preservationists, librarians, archivists, genealogists, re-enactors and local and community historians. In October, historians across the state will work ...

  The New York State Board of Regents (“the Regents”) charters museums in New York State as educational corporations and has governing authority over these incorporated organizations. In 2011, the Regents approved an amendment to its Rules...

This article originally appeared on the Women at the Center, New-York Historical Society website. Early in the morning on August 26, 1920, Secretary of State Bainbridge Colby unceremoniously certified the ratification of the 19 Amendment at his...

          Image Courtesy of the Metropolitan Museum of Art

The New York State Board of Regents (“the Regents”) charters museums in New York State as educational corporations and has governing authority over these incorporated organizations. In 2011, the Regents approved an amendment to its Rules regarding...

It is with heavy, broken hearts that we join our voices with those mourning the indefensible and tragic death of George Floyd. America’s greatness lies in our diversity, our tolerance, and our willingness to accept and welcome others. These are...

On this special episode of A New York Minute In History, we explore how historians are documenting the coronavirus pandemic in real time. Co-hosts Devin Lander, the New York Historian, and Saratoga County Historian Lauren Roberts are joined by Chr...

Museums across New York State are closing and delaying events in response to Covid-19. Organizations at the state and national level have been compiling lists of resources for museums and cultural organizations. Arts Service Initiative of Weste...

  The following are some examples of Women's History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State.  Check back often for updates.   Brooklyn Historical Society Brooklyn/NYC Marc...

The following are some examples of Black History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State.  Check back often for updates. New-York Historical Society Manhattan/NYC 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm February 2...

On this episode of A New York Minute In History, we explore slavery in New York and specifically the resistance to the institution, including the Underground Railroad. Co-hosts Devin Lander and Lauren Roberts speak with area experts and tour a his...

The New York State Museum, State Library, and State Archives will celebrate New York State History Month in November with a variety of free public programs for children, families and adults. "As we celebrate New York State History Month, we tha...

Now regarded as one the most iconic cultural expressions of American society, the Woodstock festival of 1969 served to encapsulate the spirit of the 1960s counterculture movement. Despite Woodstock’s continued popularity 50 years after it was firs...

One hundred years ago, on April 11, 1919, New York Governor Al Smith signed the “Historians Law.” The first law of its kind in the United States, the Historians Law allowed for every village, town, and city in the state to have an offici...

The following are some examples of LGTBQ+ Pride Month Events and LGBTQ+ History Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State. Capital - Saratoga Capital Pride Parade Sunday, June 9, 2019 Pride Center of ...

A reservoir system capacity of 570 billion gallons. A watershed area that covers 1.2 million acres. And a supply that is 90 percent unfiltered. The parameters of New York City’s drinking water infrastructure are astounding, but the story behind th...

Responses Needed: What visitation trends have you seen at your site over the last few years? The American Association for State and Local History (AASLH) is conducting a national visitation survey  and wants your feedback! Plea...

The following are some examples of Women's History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State.  Check back often for updates. Adirondacks Fort Fever Series: Remembering the Ladies: Anglo-Ameri...

On this episode of A New York Minute In History, co-hosts Devin Lander and Don Wildman examine how two New Yorkers – Al Smith and Franklin Delano Roosevelt – influenced the Progressive Era of the early 20th century. The episode also explores ...

The following are some examples of Black History Month Events taking place at museums and historical societies across New York State.  Check back often for updates. New-York Historical Society Manhattan/NYC Black Citizenship in the Age...

On April 11, 1919, Governor Al Smith signed into law Assembly Bill #160, which added new sections to the Education Law and created the "office of local historian for each city, town, or village except in New York City." The bill had been introduce...

On the fourth episode of A New York Minute In History, we detail Henry Hudson’s exploration of what would become the Empire State and how his journey up the aptly named Hudson River led to the Dutch settlement of New Netherland. Join us as we expl...

The journal of record for the history of the Empire State will continue in collaboration with the New York State Museum Ithaca, New York, November 15, 2018—Cornell University Press announces that, beginning in 2019, the Press will publish the c...

On the third episode of A New York Minute In History we explore the Empire State’s most ambitious engineering feat…the Erie Canal. Completed in 1825, it transformed New York and the nation by compressing time and distance, providing the fuel for a...

The second episode of A New York Minute In History explores the Women’s Rights Movement from the Seneca Falls Convention in Central New York in 1848 to equality matters being debated today. We explore the Movement’s progress through the lineage of...

County and Borough Historians’ InstituteAugust 24th, 20189:00am-4:30pmNew York State MuseumHuxley Theater222 Madison AvenueAlbany, NYGoal—The County and Borough Historian’s Institute is a free learning opportunity for County and Borough Historians...

The New York State Museum, WAMC/Northeast Public Radio and Archivist Media are excited to announce the launch of a new podcast, “A New York Minute In History,” which explores the story of New York State and the unique tales of New Yorkers. The pod...

ALBANY — The New York National Guard on Tuesday marked the 100th anniversary of Henry Johnson's defeat of nearly two dozen German soldiers, an act that won him the Medal of Honor 97 years later. Johnson was one of the first American heroes of W...

Congraulations to all of the participants and winners of the 2018 New York State History Day contests!  After a series of exciting regional contests throughout the spring, nearly 500 student winners gathered in Cooperstown along with their pa...

Students and their families and teachers from every region of the state will gather in Cooperstown on April 23rd to take part in New York State History Day.  This annual competition allows students to work individually or in groups on a histo...

New York’s capital city is as rich in cultural institutions as it is history! Join us during Women’s History Month 2018 as several of Albany’s partners in history host talks and tours to tell the complex story of the Empire State’s leading role in...

This article originally appeared in the Waterville Times Prior to the Civil War fugitive slave laws sought to capture runaway slaves from the south and return them to their owners. The famous “Jerry” rescue in Syracuse occurred in 1851, but Uti...

2018 marks the Bicentennial of Frederick Douglass' birthday and Rochester, NY is taking the lead in celebrating this momentous occasion.  Though Douglass was born into slavery in Maryland, he lived for several years with his family in Rochest...

There are some obvious truths that emerge from the survey of New York State county and borough historians, submitted by the State Historian to all county and borough historians in September 2017 to which approximately thirty individuals responded....

A couple of weeks ago Keith Williams, the author of the "F.Y.I." column that runs in The Sunday New York Times, reached out to me (and others) for his end-of-year article. He asked us: If you could go back in time and attend any par...

  A survey created by New York State Historian Devin Lander in partnership with Tompkins County Historian Carol Kammen was recently sent to all 62 County and 5 Borough Historians. The survey questions ranged in topics from the amount ...

On August 25th, 2017, the Office of State History and Office of Cultural Education hosted the 2017 County and Borough Historians' Institute, a day-long facilitated workshop. The day was a success and allowed for an interesting and informative exch...

On Saturday, July 22, 2017, I had the honor of being asked to give the keynote address at the 238th Anniversary of the Battle of Minisink Commemoration.  I was asked to attend and speak at the event by Sullivan County Historian John Conway wh...

WHAT County and Borough Historians’ Institute WHEN August 25th, 2017 9:00am-5:00pm WHERE New York State Museum Huxley Theater 222 Madison Avenue Albany, NY Goal—The County and Borough Historians' Institute is a free learning opportu...

This is the first article in an ongoing series from professional publishers on current trends in the field of New York State History. Trends in the History of Early New York Big history is making a comeback in the subfield of early Amer...

(This article was originally published in the March issue of Perspectives on History by the American Historical Association) As part of a 2013 AHA Roundtable in Perspectives about the Supreme Court ruling in Fisher v. University ...

COMMEMORATING WOMEN'S SUFFRAGE 100TH ANNIVERSARY Honoring the Fight for Women's Rights From the inception of the women’s rights movement in Seneca Falls in 1848, New York has been a leader in advancing women’s equality. To honor the cente...

Greetings and Happy (Belated) New Year!  2017 is a huge year for History in New York State.  Throughout the year we are celebrating several important and exciting anniversaries including the 200th anniversary of the beginning of const...

Several months ago, New York State Historian Devin Lander sent out a survey to the various municipalities in New York about their local government historian. This survey included questions such as: salary, time spent at the post, college degr...

The Madison County World War I project was an offshoot of a project we undertook in 2013.  Each year in October we host Archives Day, usually displaying documents from our archives.  In 2013 we decided to “create new archives.”  Par...

“We fall forward,” said women in New York in November 1915 when the suffrage bill failed by 80,000 votes. After that initial stumble, two years later New York voters passed the 1917 Suffrage Amendment. President Wilson then changed his position on...

Article originally appeared in America: The National Catholic Review.  Access article HERE.

2017 is New York State's 240th birthday! The first State Constitution was finished and approved in Kingston on April 20, 1777, and promulgated two days later by being read from the courthouse steps in that city.  The document had been written...

Find statewide history at your fingertips. The idea for this website is to provide an online conduit for information exchange between the New York’s historical field and the work of the NYS Museum Office of State History.  The website includ...