State History

The panel discussion, "Fire and Freedom: The American Revolution in New York," took place on Thursday, June 11, as the keynote panel of the 2026 New York History conference held at Marist University. 

Description: 

What started as a constitutional dispute about "home rule" and taxation became a transformative event that unleashed a host of unanticipated consequences. Showcasing New York's central role in the revolution, Fire and Freedom, also highlights the stories of people and events previously hidden from popular view, unveiling a new vision of this famous narrative. Many of the revolution's key moments can be traced to New York: city crowds rioted against colonial taxation and George Washington spent one-third of the war in and around the soon-to-be "Empire State." Beyond these well-known players and moments, however, lies a trove of new information on New York's hidden revolutionary stories and what that revolution meant to the many thousands who participated in it. 

Panelists:
Moderated by Thomas S. Wermuth, Dr. Frank T. Bumpus Chair in Hudson River Valley History, Marist University and Editor, Fire and Freedom: The American Revolution in New York.
Benjamin L. Carp is the Daniel M. Lyons Professor of American History at Brooklyn College and also teaches at the Graduate Center of the City of New York
John Cording, St. Thomas Aquinas College.
Elana Krischer, Independent Scholar
Christopher F. Minty, Digital Editor at the University of Virginia
Dillon L. Streifeneder, Assistant Professor of History at the United States Naval Academy

"Fire and Freedom: The American Revolution in New York" is available now from Cornell University Press.

Watch the full session here.