Happy 4th of July!

This weekend, we celebrate the 4th of July - a holiday typically defined by fireworks, parades, BBQs, concerts, and family gatherings in remembrance of the Continental Congress formally adopting the Declaration of Independence back in 1776.

As a nation, our relationship with this document has continuously evolved. As our understanding of the past increases and in contextualization of the unprecedented times we currently face regarding COVID-19 and ongoing social action, celebrating a document that holds claim to the birth of American Independence may seem out of touch for some.

However, in looking to the future, the Declaration of Independence holds true the spirit of the American experience - one in which can only be defined by the embodiment of the very principles laid out in the second paragraph…

“That all [people] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.”

This rare broadside of an 1850 4th of July event is from the Lansingburgh Historical Society ‘s collection that is housed in the research library of the Hart Cluett Museum.

As summer concert series are beginning to take place in parks throughout the county , we look back at the type of event that was common in 1850. Parades and orations through the village were a common site and often began or ended at the Village Green ( now 112th Street Park).