Teaching Revolutionary New York with Historical Documents

Teaching Revolutionary New York With Historical Documents

by Bruce W. Dearstyne

New York history in the Revolutionary era is complex, exciting and intriguing. We are now commemorating the 250^th anniversary of independence which will increase student – and general public – interest. One of the ways of teaching about the Revolution in our state is through a focus on key documents that identify or explain milestones or turning points. This essay identifies 10 such documents.

They begin with the period just before the war but carry the story on to the abolition of slavery, which affirmed the notion that all men are created equal. The documents were written to chart new directions and to inform, interpret, and persuade contemporaries at the time to agree with the document creators’ point of view. These documents are a good fit for portfolio-based learning. Their use demonstrates to students the value of “going to the source” and exploring foundation documents rather than just reading about them in secondary sources. They help students develop investigative, analytical, interpretive, writing and presentation skills. Finally, they help show students that many of the issues we face today are similar to what the founders faced, so we can learn from studying their examples.

There are many ways for teachers to use these documents. The questions at the end of each section suggest some possible discussion questions. The books listed at the end provide more information on those and other topics.

Appealing for Reconciliation with Britain, March 25,1775 The First Constitution Brings the State of New York into Existence, April 20, 1777 New York Adopts a State Bill of Rights, January 19, 1787

New York Joins the Independence Movement, July 9, 1776 Citizens' Rights and Responsibilities Under the New Constitution, September 9, 1777 New York Joins the New United States,
July 26, 1788

Appealing to New Yorkers to Support the Revolution, December 23, 1776 New Governor Defines the Executive's Role, September 10, 1777 New York Abolishes Slavery,
March 29, 1799

Suggested Reading

Ron Chernow, Alexander Hamilton. (New York: Penguin Books, 2005

George C. Daughan, Revolution on the Hudson: New York City and the Hudson River Valley in the American War of Independence. New York: W.W. Norton, 2016

Bruce W. Dearstyne, ed., Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change. Albany: SUNY Press, 2026

Alexander C. Flick, ed., The Revolution in New York: Its Political, Social and Economic Significance. Albany: State Education Department/Division of Archives and History, 1926 (online at: https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=ucw.ark:/13960/t3b000v0x&seq=7)

Peter Galie, Ordered Liberty: A Constitutional History of New York. New York: Fordham University Press, 1996

John J. Gallaghaer, The Battle of Brooklyn, 1776. New York: Grand Central Publishing, 2001

David N. Gellman, Emancipating New York: The Politics of Slavery and Freedom, 1777-1827. Baton Rouge: Louisiana University Press, 2006

John P. Kaminski, George Clinton: Yeoman Politician of the New Republic Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 1993

Richard M. Ketcham, Saratoga: Turning Point of the American Revolutionary War. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 1997

Howard Pashman, Building a Revolutionary State: The Legal Transformation of New York, 1776-1783. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2018

William A. Polf, 1777: The Political Revolution and New York’s First Constitution. Booklet. Albany: New York State Bicentennial Commission, 1977 (online at https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/pt?id=osu.32437123007011&seq=3)

Barnett Schecter, The Battle for New York: The City at the Heart of the American Revolution. New York: Walker Books, 2002

Steven L. Schecter et al, The Reluctant Pillar: New York and the Adoption of the Federal Constitution. Lanham, Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 1985

Walter Stahr, John Jay: Founding Father. New York: Diversion Books, 2005

Thomas S. Wermuth et al, eds., Fire and Freedom: The American Revolution in New York. Ithaca: Cornell University Press, 2026

Note: An earlier version of this essay appeared in New York Almanack on September 17, 2025. https://www.newyorkalmanack.com/2025/09/revolutionary-new-york-documents

Bruce W. Dearstyne has taught New York history courses at SUNY Albany, SUNY Potsdam and Russell Sage College. He has written several books about New York history. He is the editor of Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change published in January 2026