In this, the nation's semiquincentennial year, there is an exhibition at Circle 46 Gallery that explores the history that led up to the Declaration of Independence in 1776: From Glorious Revolution Toward Independence: America's Forgotten First Revolution.
Eighty-seven years before the Declaration of Independence, another revolution reshaped the American colonies when, in 1689, the Glorious Revolution replaced Roman Catholic King James II with his daughter, Mary II, and her husband, the Protestant Dutch William III, on England's throne.
As a result of the revolution in England, the American colonies rose up with demands for securing individual rights, no taxation without representation, and trial by jury of one's peers--demands that would be echoed in 1776.
Drawing from the Jacob Leisler Institute's collections, the exhibition on the Glorious Revolution in America places special emphasis on the New York revolt, popularly known as Leisler's Rebellion of 1689-1691. The exhibit reveals that history is complicated, many faceted, and messy, and suggests how fragile our liberties are today, how easily they can be eroded, and that we must remain vigilant in order to maintain them.
The exhibition, currently on display at Circle 46 Gallery, 46 Green Street, continues through Saturday, September 12. It is open from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m., Wednesdays through Saturdays.
This is an amazing exhibit and should a must-see for anyone interested in Hudson (or American) history. You can see why the American Revolution of 1776 was preceded by a good hundred years of prepraration in arguments, fights, and discussions in the towns and colonies from New York to Delaware. It included a notice from King James to "whoever is in charge" in New York. Lots of rough and tumble times before Washington and his troopers.
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