Fraunces Tavern Museum Fraunces Tavern Museum

Martha Washington’s worst memory was the death of her husband. Her second worst was Thomas Jefferson’s awkward visit to pay his respects subsequently. Indeed, by the time George Washington had died in 1799, the two founders were estranged. But that estrangement has obscured the fact that for most of their thirty-year acquaintance they enjoyed a productive relationship. In this lecture, Francis D. Cogliano considers the significance of one of the most important but understudied personal relationships of the founding era: the connection between George Washington and Thomas Jefferson that spanned three turbulent decades.

This lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, April 8, 2024.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

Although among the best-known Revolutionary War soldiers, Benedict Arnold is overwhelmingly remembered as little more than a traitor — yet his enormously important contributions to the patriot cause in the early years of the war are, in many ways, far more important than his treason. Join Jack Kelly, author of God Save Benedict Arnold: The True Story of America's Most Hated Man, as he highlights some of Arnold's achievements and paints a realistic portrait of a still-notorious figure of American history.

This lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Monday, March 18, 2024.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

On Monday, January 22, 2024, SRNY commemorated the birthday of Frederick Samuel Tallmadge, the second President of the Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc., whose generosity enabled the Society to acquire Fraunces Tavern in 1904.

Our featured speaker was Eric Schnitzer, co-author of a recent book, Campaign to Saratoga - 1777. This book was created jointly by master historical painter Don Troiani and Eric Schnitzer, who is an historian. Mr. Schnitzer also serves as an interpretive ranger at the Saratoga National Historical Park.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

1775 belonged to Boston but after April of 1776, the Revolutionary War's focus became New York City and the highly strategic Long Island, from Brooklyn's terminal moraine high ground to Queens's Hell Gate. 1776 was the year when revolution came to Long Island, and in particular the future Long Island City. The failures, defeats and eventual occupation of the area at the hands of the British forged the resolve and strength of character that would later ensure Patriot victories on distant battlegrounds throughout the rest of the colonies. The British did not evacuate western Queens County until November of 1783, but the events of 1776 would not soon be forgotten during the seven long years of occupation afterword. Join author Richard Melnick as he charts the military, political and cultural history 1776 in Long Island City.

This lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Thursday, November 16, 2023.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

When John Hancock needed to win people over, he didn’t talk about resisting taxes or policy improvements; instead, he served alcohol. He offered rum punch and wine at his home and paid for lavish meals in taverns to bring people together. Guests included lower class men, French officers, and Black women and men. By throwing parties, Hancock gained social and political power among myriad groups, which repeatedly paid dividends. He was consistently elected to political office and when he smuggled madeira into Boston, one of the most memorable and violent mobs during colonial resistance defended him.

In this forty-five-minute talk, Brooke Barbier discusses an oft-ignored aspect of colonial life: the high rate of alcohol consumption. Listen to lively and evocative stories that illuminate the critical and complex role that alcohol played in the social, political, and cultural fabric of the American Revolution and how John Hancock used it to his advantage.

This lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Thursday, October 26, 2023.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.

In this lecture, Christian McBurney speaks on his new book, Dark Voyage: An American Privateer’s War on Britain’s African Slave Trade, a microhistory of an American privateer during the Revolutionary War that sailed to the coast of Africa and attacked a British slave trading post and British slave ships, seriously disrupting and virtually halting the British slave trade during the war years. On the other hand, the privateersmen were out for profit and, in effect, became slave traders themselves.

This lecture was recorded as part of Fraunces Tavern Museum's Evening Lecture series on Thursday, October 5, 2023.

*The views of the speakers are their own and do not necessarily represent the views of Sons of the Revolution℠ in the State of New York, Inc. or its Fraunces Tavern® Museum.