In our continuing series in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Historical Society of the New York Courts is highlighting New York’s role in the creation of our nation and its legacy through its annual calendar. In April, we are spotlighting growing tensions with the British.

May: Tensions with the British

In 1774, tensions flared between the British and the colonists, with protests led by the Sons of Liberty, yet New York would remain split between those urging independence and those urging reconciliation with Great Britain. By 1776, the support for independence had grown, and on May 29th, manual laborers issued the New York Mechanics Declaration of Independence, which cited unjust taxes and petitioned the New York Provincial Congress to support independence. New York signed the Declaration of Independence in August 1776, as the British began to capture New York City.

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Engraving of British troops marching in New York by Jacques-François Chereau, 1777. The Protected Art Archive/Alamy.

“The Patriotick Barber of New York, or the Captain in the Suds,” attributed to Philip Dawe British, published by Robert Sayer and John Bennett British in London, England, February 14, 1775. This satirical image depicts Captain John Crozer, commander of a British ship, who has been recognized in the barbershop of Jacob Vredenburgh, a New York Son of Liberty, who refuses to finish shaving him. It is meant to demonstrate how New Yorkers refused to cooperate with British troops garrisoned in New York City in the autumn of 1774. The Metropolitan Museum of Art has provided the image (in public domain) as well as the description, which is available through the Museum’s digital collection.

Catch up on prior months here!

In our continuing series in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Historical Society of the New York Courts is highlighting New York’s role in the creation of our nation and its legacy through its annual calendar. In April, we are spotlighting George Washington’s inauguration.

April: George Washington’s Inauguration

On April 30, 1789, George Washington was inaugurated as the first President of the United States of America at Federal Hall in New York City, the first capital of the new nation. In his inaugural address, Washington spoke to his “Fellow Citizens” of America’s “experiment” in a “Republican model of Government,” and of his “veneration and love” for his country. In 1889, New York City held a Centennial celebration and parade under a temporary arch. A permanent arch, Washington Square Arch, located in Washington Square Park, was dedicated in 1895.

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Inauguration of Washington, 1789 by Ramón de Elorriaga, 1889. Image in public domain in the United States, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

Photograph of the Washington Inaugural Centennial Celebration in New York City, in front of the 23rd Street Arch, held on April 29th & 30th, and on May 1st, 1889. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, LC-USZ62-83837.

Catch up on prior months here!

In our continuing series in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Historical Society of the New York Courts is highlighting New York’s role in the creation of our nation and its legacy through its annual calendar. In March, we are spotlighting the Stamp Act.

March: The Stamp Act

On March 22, 1765 the British Parliament passed the “Stamp Act,” a direct tax on colonists without their approval, which required colonists to pay a tax represented by a stamp on printed materials including newspapers, legal and trade documents, and playing cards. The unpopular tax led to the rallying cry “No Taxation Without Representation,” and to mass protests and vandalism in New York City. The Stamp Act was repealed in 1766, but it foreshadowed what was to come and paved the way for the Declaration of Independence in 1776.

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Woodcut print of a Stamp Act protest in New York, c. 1765. North Wind Picture Archives/Alamy.

An engraving depicting the British Parliament’s repeal of the Stamp Act in 1766 in the wake of protests by colonists. “The repeal, or the funeral procession of Miss America-Stamp,” 1766. The Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Division of Art, Prints and Photographs: Print Collection, The New York Public Library.

Catch up on prior months here!

In our continuing series in celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, the Historical Society of the New York Courts is highlighting New York’s role in the creation of our nation and its legacy through its annual calendar. In February, we are spotlighting the work of Frederick Douglass.

February: Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass, an African American man born into slavery, who chose February 14th as his birthday, escaped and found freedom, eventually settling in Rochester, New York. A leader in the abolitionist movement, Douglass published an antislavery newspaper, The North Star, advocating for the end of slavery and reflecting his belief in racial and gender equality. In 1852, Douglass spoke of how the existence of slavery undermined the ideals within the Declaration of Independence, asking “What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?” Douglass died on February 20, 1895.

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Frederick Douglass, engraving by John Chester Buttre, created approximately between 1800-1899, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library.

“Harper’s Weekly portrait of Frederick Douglass seated at desk holding newspaper,” December 13, 1879. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library.blog

Top of the front page of Frederick Douglass’s antislavery newspaper, The North Star, published in Rochester, New York, Vol. I, No. VII, February 11, 1848. Library of Congress, Digital Collections, Frederick Douglass Newspapers, 1847 to 1874, DLC sn84026365.

Catch up on prior months here!

This year, 2026, marks the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, and the Historical Society of the New York Courts is celebrating New York’s role in the creation of our nation and its legacy with our annual calendar. It was with this document that American colonists broke free from the tyranny of British monarchical rule.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men 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.

With these words, a new form of government could begin—one that is by the people and for the people.

However, at the time of its writing, the promises of the Declaration could not be realized. At the national level, slavery continued to exist for nearly 100 years after the document’s creation, and women would not receive the right to vote nationally until 1920 when the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified. Nevertheless, rights activists such as Frederick Douglass and Susan B. Anthony, both of whom are featured in the calendar, persevered, to help establish greater equality in American society. They strived to ensure that the Declaration’s legacy can be realized for all Americans, and it is our responsibility as good citizens to carry this torch and uphold the principles of freedom in the Declaration of Independence—much like Lady Liberty does in New York Harbor.

We invite you to follow along each month as we share a uniquely New York contribution to the Declaration of Independence, the American Revolution, and the promise of the U.S. Constitution!

January: The New York Manumission Society

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.” These words in the Declaration of Independence revealed the promise of a new nation that would remain unfulfilled due to the existence of slavery. Founded on January 25, 1785, the New York Manumission Society advocated for the gradual abolition of slavery, promoted education and established schools for African Americans, and provided legal assistance and protection. The Society’s advocacy would eventually help lead to New York’s abolition of slavery, which culminated with final emancipation on July 4, 1827.

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Engraving of African Free School, No. 2, New York, 1860. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library.

A formerly enslaved, and now free, woman escorting her children to school, 1862. Schomburg Center for Research in Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library.

“The Act of Incorporation and Constitution of the New York Society for Promoting the Manumission of Slaves: and protecting such of them as have been, or may be liberated. Revised and adopted, 31st January, 1809. With the bye-laws of the society annexed,” Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Manuscripts, Archives and Rare Books Division, The New York Public Library.

Catch up on prior months here!