Back Porch History: 1776 – A Defining Moment in the Story of Northern Manhattan with Don Rice

Join us for a free, in-person lecture about the American Revolution and Northern Manhattan history at Dyckman Farmhouse Museum! Nearly 250 years ago, in November 1776, Dyckman was consumed by warfare. Thousands of British and Hessian soldiers attacked the hillsides and overwhelmed the American defenses there. For the next seven years, occupying forces sucked the area dry, leaving behind a countryside devoid of natural resources and pockmarked with wrecked farmsteads and roads. It was a defining moment in Inwood’s past. Using primary sources and rare images, we’ll relive the events that led up to the battle of Fort Washington in 1776.

Come learn about the Dyckman family’s role in trying to protect the neighborhood and their home, and discover if anything still remains from those tumultuous times.

RSVP Required –  Register on Eventbrite!

DonRice was board president of the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance from 2016-2025. In 2009, he founded the “Lost Inwood” series of popular local history talks and almost a decade later, in 2019, Rice co-authored a book of the same name with fellow local historian Cole Thompson. He’s lived with his family in North Manhattan for more than 25 years and is retired from a career in the Broadway Music field.

Join us for a free, in-person lecture about the American Revolution and Northern Manhattan history at Dyckman Farmhouse Museum!

Nearly 250 years ago, in November 1776, Dyckman was consumed by warfare.

Thousands of British and Hessian soldiers attacked the hillsides and overwhelmed the American defenses there. For the next seven years, occupying forces sucked the area dry, leaving behind a countryside devoid of natural resources and pockmarked with wrecked farmsteads and roads. It was a defining moment in Inwood’s past.

Using primary sources and rare images, we’ll relive the events that led up to the battle of Fort Washington in 1776.

Come learn about the Dyckman family’s role in trying to protect the neighborhood and their home, and discover if anything still remains from those tumultuous times.

FREE, but RSVP Required: Register on Eventbrite

Don Rice was board president of the Dyckman Farmhouse Museum Alliance from 2016-2025. In 2009, he founded the “Lost Inwood” series of popular local history talks and almost a decade later, in 2019, Rice co-authored a book of the same name with fellow local historian Cole Thompson. He’s lived with his family in North Manhattan for more than 25 years and is retired from a career in the Broadway Music field.

Join us for a free, interactive, roundtable discussion about the Declaration of Independence on Dyckman Farmhouse Museum’s back porch!

Led by Professor Emeritus of American Studies and Journalism at Rutgers University Robert Snyder, participants will engage with select excerpts from the Declaration of Independence through close-reading exercises and discussion questions:

What does the Declaration suggest about its authors’ beliefs and grievances in 1776?  What does the Declaration mean to us today?  In 2026, what is the legacy of the American Revolution?  Bring your questions, arguments, and concerns to this Back Porch History! Class is officially in session!

Registered participants will electronically receive guidelines and a 2-page .pdf version of the Declaration of Independence to review before the discussion. Copies will also be available at the event.

Free — RSVP Required: register on Eventbrite

Robert Snyder is the Professor Emeritus of American Studies and Journalism at Rutgers University. He is the author of Crossing Broadway: Washington Heights and the Promise of New York and When the City Stopped: Stories from New York’s Essential Workers. Previously, Snyder served as the Manhattan Borough Historian for six years and was a Fulbright lecturer of American Studies in South Korea.