Observing the Semiquincentennial

A post on Facebook this morning lamented that Donald Trump was taking the joy out of the country's 250th anniversary. Readers old enough to remember the Bicentennial can attest to that. Although on the national level nothing appropriate to the significant milestone of the country's Semiquicentennial seems to be happening, here in Hudson, in a small way, there is something: The Patriots of Hudson in the Revolutionary War, the exhibition created by the History Room now on display at the Hudson Area Library. 

Gossips has previously published samples from the exhibition, which can be found here, here, here, here, and here. Today, we share the introduction to the exhibition, in the hope it will inspire you to observe the Semiquincentennial by paying a visit to the library to view The Patriots of Hudson in the Revolutionary War.

Introduction

The Patriots of Hudson in the Revolutionary War

The story of the origin of Hudson is inextricably connected to the experience of the American Revolution. The merchants and whalers of what would become Hudson were the victims of emotional and economic trauma during the war. On the island of Nantucket, their goods, wealth, and even sailors and other employees were impounded by the British at will, their ships sometimes stolen or destroyed, their lives and livelihoods disrupted and imperiled.

The founders of Hudson have storied connections to our country's beginnings. Many of these subsequent settlers of Hudson identified with the revolutionaries seeking freedom from tyranny and were deeply involved in supporting the war. Some aided the effort for independence by loaning the Continental government money; some contracted with the Continental Navy to serve as privateers to disrupt the British navy; and some served in Continental militias and fought at such battles as Bunker Hill, Lexington, and Yorktown. Even among the Quakers who adhered to their religion's pacifist stance, there were those who simply believed in and hoped for the cause of independence from England.

As successful New England merchants and sea captains, the founders of our city in many cases knew the Founding Fathers personally. The correspondence and veterans' documents featured in this exhibit are a sampling of the involvement of the leaders of Hudson in the Revolutionary War effort and in the new nation's business. The men who founded Hudson served the Patriot cause before, during, and after the Revolutionary War.

The birth of Hudson parallels the birth of the new United States of America. The same year that the Founding Fathers were creating a new nation, a democracy, the first of its kind, the Proprietors established the City of Hudson. They brought with them not only their expertise as merchants and sea captains, but also their passionate support of democracy and the spirit and determination to begin the new American experiment in a riverfront settlement.

This exhibit is a narrative of the lives of many of the leaders of early Hudson who contributed to the war effort and how they built Hudson. It seeks to honor their sacrifice but also to present them, as much as the historic record allows us, as they were. For example, during our research we discovered three were enslavers, and we have included that fact in the text on their lives. In some cases, the exhibit further ventures out to follow the accomplishments of the descendants of these men. One of the wonderful things about Hudson history is that it often leads out to the whole world.

As you view this exhibit, we hope you enjoy and learn and think deeply about our country as it celebrates its 250th anniversary of independence. And we hope you love the history of Hudson even more.