African American Archive of Columbia County, NY

05/27/2026

We're proud to announce that two of our own have been awarded the New Netherland Institute's Charles W. Wendell Research Grant! Andrea Mosterman, of the University of New Orleans and member of the Archive's Advisory Board, is researching the voyage of the Dutch slave ship Gideon in 1663-1664 and the central role of New Amsterdam in the early North American slave trade. And Archive co-founder and Dep Exec Dir Lisa Fludd-Smith is researching the relationship between Dutch settlers and the people they enslaved from the 17th to 19th centuries. Look for new published work from Andrea and Lisa in the coming year.

Our gratitude to the New Netherland Institute for their support and consideration of our work!

05/25/2026

A federal holiday since 1971, the roots of Memorial Day go back ove...

05/25/2026

Join HHS for "Gerritt, James, Molly, and Hendrick: Reconstructing Enslaved Lives in Early New Paltz,” a virtual presentation with Ulster County Historian Eddie Moran, on Thursday, May 28 from 7pm to 8:30pm (EDT).

This presentation explores the lives of Gerritt, James, Molly, and Hendrick—the earliest recorded individuals to have been enslaved by Jean and Jacob Hasbrouck—tracing the fragmentary records that document their presence in colonial New Paltz. Through close reading of these sources alongside carefully grounded historical context, the program reconstructs aspects of their lived experiences and considers the roles they played in shaping the community. In doing so, it invites a deeper reckoning with the human stories embedded within one of New Paltz’s most iconic historic sites.

This presentation will be presented entirely online via a link sent after registration.

Eddie Moran currently serves as the appointed Historian for Ulster County, NY. Eddie graduated with a B.A. in history from SUNY New Paltz in the Spring of 2020, and began work as a tour guide at Historic Huguenot Street in New Paltz while still a student in 2017. He managed historical interpretation full-time at Historic Huguenot Street beginning in 2022, and was appointed Ulster County Historian in September 2024. He is a lifelong resident of the Wallkill River Valley.

$8 General Access

$5 Discounted Access (For seniors students, active military personnel and their families, and veterans)

Free Access for HHS members

This program will be recorded, access to which will be shared with all registrants the following day.

Gerritt, James, Molly, and Hendrick are the focus of the 2026 Witness Stone Project collaboration between Historic Huguenot Street, the Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis Center, and the Ulster County Historian. This year, the project welcomes students from Kingston High School as they engage with this research through field trips and in-classroom work. Their culminating art project will bridge connections between the history of slavery, an analysis of archival documents, and their own experiences as local youth.

Commemorative memorial markers honoring Gerritt, James, Molly, and Hendrick will be installed in front of the Jacob (Jean) Hasbrouck House and unveiled at the Juneteenth Jubilee hosted by the Dr. Margaret Wade-Lewis Center at Historic Huguenot Street on Friday, June 19th.

For more information and to register visit: huguenotstreet.org/calendar-of-events/5/28/26/gerritt-james-molly-and-hendrick

Historic Huguenot Street’s programs are supported by the New York State Council on the Arts, with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

05/25/2026

On May 24, 1626, Peter Minuit bought the island of Manhattan. Information about this transaction comes from a letter by Pieter Janszoon Schagen. He writes that Minuit bought the land from unnamed Native American people, probably the Canarsee Indians of the Lenape, in exchange for traded goods worth 60 guilders. Historians debate what the value of what the 60 guilders would mean in today's currency and it ranges from $24 to $15,000. One of the points to this that is often lost is the Native American understanding of this deal. They did not simply vanish from the island and many were still present going into the Revolution and beyond. From their prospective, this was most likely viewed as an alliance deal with the goods being an incentive for mutual protection. However, this is still one of the greatest land deals ever pulled off.

Image: 1909 drawing of The Purchase of Manhattan Island by Alfred Fredericks. Popular Science Monthly Volume 75/Brittanica

05/25/2026

05/25/2026

05/25/2026

Join us for Solidarity Day on June 16 during Juneteenth Week, a celebration of Black liberation and community. We’re partnering with HCHC and Who We Be! to celebrate unity across our different backgrounds, experiences, and struggles. All are welcome to participate in shared meals, activities, a fireside chat, and more as we build connection, reflection, and solidarity together.

Let us know if you’re attending!
RSVP link in bio! ☮️

05/25/2026

Pope Leo 🙌🏾🙌🏾🙌🏾

Pope Leo XIV makes historic apology for Holy See's own role in legitimizing slavery | National Catholic Reporter

Past popes have apologized for the trans-Atlantic slave trade, but none have publicly acknowledged the role their predecessors played in giving European sovereigns explicit authority to subjugate and enslave "infidels."

05/19/2026

We had an amazing day at the Original Black Family Reunion Pinkster Fest! Perfect weather, a great crowd, the best performers, vendors and exhibitors, and awesome food. What more could we ask for? Thanks to everyone who joined us and all of our partners who worked with us...we couldn't have done it without all of you. And if you didn't make it, be sure to join us next year!

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05/14/2026

Joy is an act of resistance, and few things were as joyous to the ancestors as Pinkster. Reuniting with loved ones, being with your people, laughing, loving, feasting ... we know how much this means to us in modern times, but imagine how important it was in the lives of our ancestors.

The Original Black Family Reunion Pinkster Fest is Saturday, May 16th, 12 to 5, at Rothermel Park in Kinderhook. Join us in recreating joy. ❤️💃🏾

05/13/2026

Pinkster is a joyous holiday with roots in African, Dutch and Hudson Valley history. It's our unique history.

Columbia County had one of the largest populations of enslaved African Americans outside of NYC. And it was an area that maintained its Dutch character longer than most other regions. Our roots, African and Dutch, are deeply intertwined. And always influenced by the land that surrounds us.

We, at the Archive, have brought Pinkster back home to Columbia County, where our ancestors celebrated it centuries ago. We do it to honor the ancestors - their lives, their love, their resilience. We do it to experience the joy that they experienced. And we do it to share our Afro Dutch heritage and all beauty, love, and exuberance that comes with it.

Video credit to our amazing friend