Tag Archives: American History

Back Porch History 2025: “Kingsbridge at the Dawn of the Revolution” with Nick Dembowski

1775 was 250 years ago. At that time the people of Kingsbridge did not know that the most dramatic and violent 8 years in the history of the area were about to begin. The Revolutionary War would transform the neighborhood from a lush and fertile farming community into a muddy battle-scarred military camp with forts on every hilltop. For the community that was here, 1775 was the year that everything changed. The men of the area formed a militia for defense and the Continental Congress ordered the area fortified. But why here? Why did George Washington consider it a “pass of the utmost importance?” And how did local people feel about the ideas and events that were reshaping America and their lives?

On August 27th at 6:00 PM, join us for Dyckman Farmhouse Museum’s LAST Back Porch History lecture of the season featuring historian Nick Dembowski, who will take you on a virtual tour of Kingsbridge and northern Manhattan in the years before the war, leading up to the Declaration of Independence.

Nick Dembowski is a Bronx local historian and Executive Director of the Kingsbridge Historical Society. He was the lead curator of the Kingsbridge Remembers 1775-1783 exhibit at the Kingsbridge Historical Society. He is also the Site Historian of the Van Cortlandt House Museum.

Date: Wednesday, August 27th

Time: 6-7pm

Registration: Zoom registration required.

Cost: FREE!

Livestream? YES! Register using the link in our bio!

Location: Livestream via Zoom and in person at Dyckman Farmhouse Museum (on the corner of 204th and Broadway)

Heritage Trail: Tracing NYC’s Foundations

Our annual shuttle tour is back, this time in Upper Manhattan and The Bronx! We’re teaming up with some incredible cultural organizations to offer a unique opportunity to trace New York City’s foundations across historic sites built between 1748 and 1836.

Travel by shuttle to three historic sites with an extra stop on our extended tour that includes a boxed lunch. Enjoy special crafts, activities, and delicious treats along the way. Learn about the lives of the people that lived and worked in these places including the Lenape, Dutch settlers, and enslaved Africans.

Purchase tickets: https://www.eventbrite.com/…/heritage-trail-tracing…

Thanks so much to Dutch Culture USA for supporting this opportunity to connect, and to our wonderful partners who are helping make this event a success. #nychistory #thebronx #uppermanhattan #historichouses

Morris-Jumel – Virtual Parlor Chat Connect260: “Who Are We Now and Where Are We Going Next?”

As our Connect260 series comes to an end, we invite you to gather for another special installment of the program to learn about the Mansion today and what it has in store for the future. The culmination of this series is the beginning of an exciting new chapter in the Mansion’s history, as December 1st marked the official closure date for the beginning of the long awaited MJM Restoration and Accessibility Project. Viewers are invited to join us virtually to learn about the final plans that are underway to ensure the preservation of the 260 year old landmark that is the Morris Jumel Mansion. Mansion staff will be joined by representatives of the Historic House Trust, who oversees the restoration of MJM and the preservation of the other 22 city owned historic houses in New York City, and have been steadfast advocates for the Mansion throughout the process. Their expertise will enlighten and excite lovers of history, Mansion neighbors, preservation enthusiasts, and more as they discuss all that is in store for the Mansion.

When
Wednesday, Dec. 17, 7-8 PM
Where
Online
Free Registration, $5 Suggested Donation

Register

Dyckman Farmhouse – Backporch: “Echoes Across the Pond” with Silentwoods Collective

Baseball is not just America’s pastime— it is a story of resilience, talent, and the fight for equality. African Americans have shaped the game of baseball since its earliest days not just by playing it, but elevating it.

Join us on Wednesday, July 30th from 6-7pm as we honor their legacy through a lecture about the history of the Negro Baseball Leagues and how they found their way to the Dyckman Oval. We will discuss the stories, the struggles, and the triumphs of Black baseball players throughout history. Afterwards, participants will enjoy a fun, trivia-style game that will test their knowledge about the history of Negro Baseball Leagues and milestones of notable Black baseball players.

Wednesday July 30th
6-7pm
FREE

Dyckman Farmhouse Museum
(on the corner of 204th and Broadway)

Dyckman Farmhouse: History in Focus 2025 – “Diversity and it’s Limits: Attitudes Towards Immigration in New York”

Dyckman Farmhouse Museum presents History In Focus 2025:

A Virtual Lecture Series on
Immigrant History in Upper Manhattan

“Diversity and it’s Limits: Attitudes Towards Immigration in New York” with Dr. Philip Kasinitz

June 18th, 2025
12pm on Zoom

FREE!
REGISTER HERE!

New York’s history has long been the history of migrants and newcomers. Since the days of Dutch New Amsterdam, waves of migrants—some voluntary, some not—have continually remade the city. Historically, immigrants have accounted for almost all of the City’s population growth as well as its emergence as a center of economic activity and cultural innovation.

Despite its long history of ethnic and racial conflict, New Yorkers have generally been more favorably disposed towards immigration—if not necessarily towards all groups of immigrants– than most Americans. However, last year’s influx of refugees, many of whom were bused to New York, has presented the city with new challenges. The mayor described this influx as “unprecedented” and feared that it could “destroy the city”. More recently the policies of the Trump administration have framed migration as a “crisis” and local and federal policies have increasingly come into conflict.

For the FINAL presentation of History in Focus 2025, Dr. Philip Kasinitz will explore some of the history of how New York has received immigrants and discuss what is and is not new about the present situation. Dr. Kasinitz will also present the surprising findings of a new survey on attitudes towards migrants among today’s New Yorkers.

Philip Kasinitz is Presidential Professor of Sociology and director of the Advanced Research Collaborative at the City University of New York Graduate Center, where he founded the Master’s program in International Migration Studies. His co-authored book Inheriting the City: The Children of Immigrants Come of Age received the American Sociological Association Distinguished Book Award and the Eastern Sociological Society’s Mira Komarovsky Book award. Other recent works include Growing Up Muslim in Europe and the United Sates and Global Cities, Local Streets. Former President of the Eastern Sociological Society, he serves on The Russell Sage Foundation’s committee on Race, Ethnicity and Immigration and the Historical Advisory Committee of the Ellis Island Museum.

This program is supported, in part, by, the Honorable Carmen De La Rosa, New York City Council, District 10.