History like you never learned it in school! See us on the Travel Channels' Mysteries at the Museum! No two tours are exactly the same!
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Since 2005, we've been leading our customers through the most historic parts of the city, along streets laid in the 1700’s and into national historic landmarks and are a daily presence in Lower Manhattan! We know the story of every nook and cranny of the Southern tip of the Island and we can’t wait to share it with you. Our Research
To prepare for our tours we comb through hundreds of archival doc
uments. Newspapers, broadsides, pamphlets, personal papers and prints all go into our storytelling of the city’s past. We visit research libraries and historic sites throughout the region to flesh out our understanding of events and people. We virtually live in the time period, recreating it in a way that allows us to answer all of your questions, no matter how obscure. Your Tour Experience
We keep our group sizes small to give you personal attention. Each tour is a unique experience as we tailor it to meet the needs of your group. As the tour moves along we pay attention to your questions and what you seem most interested in so that we change the narrative accordingly. Plus, if you have an ancestor or specific person or event you’d like to know about, let us know before the tour and we’ll be sure to include it for you. Your Guide
Karen Q has spent nearly fifteen years immersed in NYC’s early history. What began as a hobby, reading original documents, became a passion when she learned the stories of people long forgotten who did amazing things to create the city and nation we have today. In 2005 she began the Revolutionary Era walking tour to honor those great NYers. At the request of enthusiastic customers she added the Civil War Tour and the Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr Tour. Karen has spoken at meetings of the NYC Chapter of the DAR (Daughters of the American Revolution) and is a regular speaker for the Queens Public Library. She is also an historical consultant to The Travel Channel’s “Mysteries at the Museum”, Fordham University Radio WFUV and AM New York (newspaper).
In September 1776, British forces in America suddenly paused their attacks on General Washington's forces and requested a Peace Conference with the Continental Congress. If they were so powerful, why did they do it? Maybe they weren't as strong as they wanted everyone to believe.
What was really going on with the British Command and Parliament? And why would the Americans humor them with a meeting on Staten Island?
Tonight, on my RBN broadcast, I will discuss the women of the American Revolution. I won't have time to cover all of them, but I have picked a group I think will inspire you and give some insight into what Americans were thinking and why they were willing to fight against a far superior force, knowing they might lose everything.
Also on tonight's show: The September 11, 1776 Peace Conference that might have changed the world!
FB and IG will not allow me to post the link, but you can find the show on Republic Broadcasting Network's website. Click on "listen-live."
I hope you will join me!
Wyatt Earp and the Cowboy War
VERY highly recommended for a dose of American History you never learned in school.
I'm not a cowboy or Old West fan, but I thought this looked interesting, and it wasn't anything like what I expected. This is the story of Wyatt Earp and how his storyline fits into paying off the debt incurred by the Federal Government during the Civil War. It's fascinating! It was the need to pay those debts that made mining silver and building railroads a priority in the 1880s. Out of that grew the Cowboy Wars, Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, Ike Clanton, and the rest.
It's available on Netflix and produced by the same team that did "The Titans that Built America" for the History Channel. (It's another superb series.)
August 29 - Gen. Washington's army attempts one of the riskiest operations of 1776. This is the story, video recorded right where it happened!
Battle of Brooklyn August 27, 1776 and the heroic stand of the Maryland 400.
HUZZAH!
You didn't build that! How the Sons of Liberty got their name.
In 1765, a heated debate occurred in Parliament between MPs Isaac Barré and Charles Townshend over the proposed Stamp Act. When Townshend commented that the colonies ought to "contribute to the mother country which had planted, nurtured and indulged them," Barré fired back.
"They planted by your care? No! Your oppression planted 'em in America. They fled from your tyranny to a then uncultivated and unhospitable country where they exposed themselves to almost all the hardships to which human nature is liable, and among others to the cruelties of a savage foe, the most subtle, and I take upon me to say, the most formidable of any people upon the face of God’s earth....
They nourished by your indulgence? They grew by your neglect of 'em. As soon as you began to care about 'em, that care was exercised in sending persons to rule over 'em, in one department and another, who were perhaps the deputies of deputies to some member of this house, sent to spy out their liberty, to misrepresent their actions and to prey upon 'em; men whose behaviour on many occasions has caused the blood of those SONS OF LIBERTY to recoil within them....
They protected by your arms? They have nobly taken up arms in your defence, have exerted a valour amidst their constant and laborious industry for the defence of a country whose frontier while drenched in blood, its interior parts have yielded all its little savings to your emolument .... The people I believe are as truly loyal as any subjects the king has, but a people jealous of their liberties and who will vindicate them if ever they should be violated; but the subject is too delicate and I will say no more."
Thus, the "Sons of Liberty" were born in the American Colonies.
HUZZAH to the great Isaac Barré!
TONIGHT 9 pm ET - Heroes of the Revolutionary War!
When we learn about the Revolutionary War, there are military commanders whose names almost everyone remembers: Washington, Knox, Greene, Lafayette, and Rochambeau are some of the big names. But what about the commanders whose heroic efforts saved the war time and time again?
Tonight, I'll be talking about some of them. As part of that story, we'll learn about the Battle of Brooklyn, which was going on this week in 1776, and the courageous American stand at the Old Stone House.
Listen in at Republic Broadcasting Network. (FB will not allow me to post a direct link.)
Last Sunday, on my radio show, I recommended this book by David Freeman Hawke. It's a light, engaging read about America in the 17th and 18th Centuries. Highly recommended if you are interested in what it would be like to live during that time.
Today in 1776 - The Battle for New York Begins! Join me for a short lesson on why this is such an important part of Revolutionary War History.
Mark this on your calendar as a MUST activity if you love the story of the Culper Spy Ring and the American Revolution!
Wilkes-Barré is named after two members of the British Parliament. Who were they, and why did the people choose to honor them?
TONIGHT 9pm ET - Who were the American Colonists?
What were the people like who decided to rebel against their government in 1776? Tonight, I'll talk about the people of the colonies, what life was like, and what drove them to decide it was time to abolish their government and fight on when everyone said it was impossible. I hope you will join me.
FB will not allow the direct link, but you can find it at:
Republic
Broadcasting
Network
Listen-live
*print by Don Troiani "Soldier Returning Home"
Enjoying the afternoon learning our way around the historic district of Wikes-Barre, PA.
In mid-August 1776, Royal Governor William Tryon wrote to London from his office aboard HMS Duchess of Gordon. Tryon had been living on the ship, anchored near Staten Island, since the previous Autumn, when he fled the city in fear for his life.
To the Minister of War, Lord Germain, Tryon wrote that the "confederate colonies have declared themselves independent states." Tryon enclosed a copy of the Declaration of Independence and explained that it had been published the previous month.
Tryon describes the state of the city to Germain:
"...the King's Statue has been demolished, as well as the King''s Arms in the City Hall, the established churches (Church of England) shut up, and every vestige of Royalty, as far as has been in the power of the rebels, done away."
He assures Germain that Britain's superior power will easily defeat the rebellion.
"The whole armament destined for this part of America, except the last division of the Hessians, being now assembled here, I expect, by the courage and strength of this noble Army, tyranny will be crushed and legal government restored."
Oops. Tryon got that wrong!
Governments never like it when their corruption is exposed. The way to deal with it in 1734 was to charge the printer with "seditious libel" and burn every newspaper issue so no one could see it to judge for themselves. (Keeping a couple of evidence at trial.)
This print illustrates the burning of John Peter Zenger's Weekly Journal in 1734. His trial, which backfired badly on the Government, created the free press in the colony of NY and eventually, by NY's insistence, the protection in the First Amendment of the US Constitution.
TONIGHT 9 pm ET - The story of Colonel Benjamin Tallmadge and the Culper Spy RIng! Margo Arceri of Spy Ring Tri-Spy Tours by Strong Pointe Productions , Setauket, NY will join me for a story you won't want to miss: the first civilian war-time spy ring, operating in occupied territory on the North Shore of Long Island and right in the midst of the British command in Lower Manhattan.
In the second hour, I will discuss the Mersereau Spy Ring, which operated out of Staten Island, New Jersey, and the West side of the Hudson River.
Republic Broadcasting Network / listen-live
(FB blocks this URL, just search for the channel in your browser.)
I am super excited to have Margo Arceri of Culper Spy Ring Tri-Spy Tours by Strong Pointe Productions join me tomorrow on my RBN broadcast! Margo is an expert on the Culper Spy Ring and life on Long Island under British Occupation. It will be an opportunity to learn the inspiring true story of the Culper Spy Ring and the way they operated for years among the enemy camp without detection.
That's Sunday, 8/10, 9 pm ET. The shows are recorded, so you can find them in the archives later if you miss them.
FB will not let me post the link, but you can find us on Republic Broadcasting Network/listen-live
Oh, those 18th Century staircases!
Join me tomorrow at 2pm ET for my monthly lecture for the Queens Public Library Mail-a-Book program. I will discuss two Revolutionary War figures. One, who was the greatest battlefield commander of the American Army but is only remembered for his horrible act of treason, and the other a published intellectual who did not receive credit for an important work for nearly 100 years.
I hope you can join us. Here's the link: https://queenslibrary-org.zoom.us/j/84491575665?pwd=ahBwKavYP0migqmqgLrTQsjNlmGrN6.1
My sincerest condolences to my friends at the Queens Public Library Mail-a-Book program on the loss of Melba John-Riley. I have worked with Melba and the Mail-a-Book team for many years. Melba was an extraordinary person. I am greatly saddened to know she is no longer with us.
Today, I enjoyed shooting a video tour of the Nathan Denison House (1790) in Forty Fort, PA, with Vinnie Langdon III
Our guide was Mark Riccetti of the Luzerne County Historical Society . The house is magnificent! You'll learn more when the video is released, but for now, it was one of the loveliest historic homes from the 18th Century that I have seen. Many things about it brought to mind the Ketcham Inn in Center Moriches, NY, including the plate's squiggly line design. It caught my eye right away. When I first saw the design at the Ketcham Inn, I thought it was unique. Seeing it again today was a real surprise.
Here are pictures of the plates, the first from the Ketcham Inn and the second at Denison House today.
And here also are a few more pictures to get you interested in our upcoming video!
In 8th grade in NY, my Social Studies class taught me about the 1777 Three-Point Plan of the British to take Saratoga and the Hudson River Valley. I learned that General Horatio Gates won Saratoga and changed the direction of the American Revolution. That victory convinced the French to enter into the conflict on our side.
If you search for information about Horatio Gates or the battles of Saratoga, you'll find the story hasn't changed. But the problem is, it isn't true! So why hasn't the record been corrected?
Revolutionary War military enthusiasts all know that Gates wasn't the real victor. But articles about general history still name him. Why? General Benedict Arnold and Colonel Daniel Morgan were the real victors at Saratoga. They and their men won those battles. And to do it, they disobeyed Gates' orders. Had they not done so, the British would have taken Saratoga. When Gates wrote his report to Congress, he took full credit for the victory for himself! Two hundred and forty-seven years later, he is still credited.
The whole story is told in the well-done documentary Benedict Arnold: Hero Betrayed, available on Amazon Prime. In it, one of the Historians remarks, "If Arnold had been killed at Saratoga, he would have a monument right next to Washington's." But Arnold survived Saratoga and went on to commit treason three years later.
As a result, Arnold, the greatest general of the American Revolution, is remembered only for his traitorous acts, and Gates keeps the credit he never deserved.
History is a weird thing sometimes!
PS - Watch the documentary on Prime if you can.
Portrait of Horatio Gates by Gilbert Stuart
On our Architecture Tour Sunday, Mr. Q and I immediately noticed that one of the buildings that is now part of Wilkes University (Weckesser Hall) had elements surprisingly similar to those found on the Woolworth Building in Lower Manhattan.
Weckesser Hall was built from 1914 to 1916 as a home for Frederick J Weckesser, a philanthropist. The architect was Charles P.H. Gilbert, who also built a house for Frank W. Woolworth. Woolworth favored the French Gothic style and incorporated it into his skyscraper on Lower Broadway, built by Cass Gilbert from 1911 to 1913. (No relation to Charles P H Glibert.)
One thing immediately stood out: The coiled salamanders on each side of the main arch symbolizing transformation and the floral buds.
The towers on each side of the Weckesser Hall arch resemble those on the Trinity Building, a gothic office building on Lower Broadway built during the same period.
Here are pictures of the Woolworth Building entrance, the Weckesser Hall arch, the Trinity Building towers, and a closeup of the Woolworth salamanders.
What a great find!
Tonight at 9pm ET my weekly show will have a fun, short quiz about the events that led to the Revolutionary War. And then Benedict Arnold: the story you were never told!
Republic
Broadcasting
Network
Listen Live
Yesterday, I took the Wilkes-Barré Preservation Society Historic Architecture Tour with Tony Brooks. It was fantastic! The next tour is in September. You can learn more at their website https://www.wbpreservation.org/. If you will be in the area then be sure to take it! Check out their other tours, too.
It was so much fun to be the person learning rather than the person leading the tour. I do miss conducting tours, but the break has been good for me.
Here are a few of the many stunning buildings we saw.
Before the battle of New York went into full swing in the Summer of 1776, British Admiral Lord Richard Howe attempted to negotiate an armistice. Here's the story of one of those attempts.
Who remembers taking books out of the library with the due date stamped on the inside of the front cover? Or a pocket with a slip inserted bearing the due date?
Some of my very best memories!
Mountain Top, PA
18707
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| Friday | 9am - 5pm |
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In September 1776, British forces in America suddenly paused their attacks on General Washington's forces and requested a Peace Conference with the Continental Congress. If they were so powerful, why did they do it? Maybe they weren't as strong as they wanted everyone to believe. What was really going on with the British Command and Parliament? And why would the Americans humor them with a meeting on Staten Island?
August 29 - Gen. Washington's army attempts one of the riskiest operations of 1776. This is the story, video recorded right where it happened!
Battle of Brooklyn August 27, 1776 and the heroic stand of the Maryland 400. HUZZAH!
Today in 1776 - The Battle for New York Begins! Join me for a short lesson on why this is such an important part of Revolutionary War History.
Wilkes-Barré is named after two members of the British Parliament. Who were they, and why did the people choose to honor them?
Tour a 1797 home! Swetland Homestead, Wyoming, PA, with Mark Riccetti of the Luzerne County Historical Society
Commemoration of the Battle of Wyoming 2024 - The battle took place July 3, 1778 and has been remembered every year since 1878. I teamed up with @vinnielangdon this year to see what it is all about.
My latest video - how it took me eight years and a trip to the Wyoming Massacre monument in PA to discover the story about a portrait in the NY Historical Society.
The story of one of the most brutal massacres of Americans during the Revolutionary War and how it is related to a portrait in the New York Historical Society.
Tribute to the soldiers lost on the NY Prison Ships, Battle of Brooklyn 1776, and Wyoming Massacre 1778. Book referenced: Remembrance of the Jersey by Thomas Dring https://archive.org/details/jerseyprisonship00drinrich
January 19, 1770, one of the bloodiest riots in colonial NYC occurred in today's financial district. The Sons of Liberty vs British Soldiers, with civilians caught in the middle. Why were the people of colonial America so angry at the soldiers? Here's the full story of why and how it happened, along with a brief walk through the area as it is today.
Hamilton and Burr join H Brockholst Livingston for the greatest defense "dream team" of 1800!
McDougal Street: A great story about government corruption, election fraud, press freedom, and 45 virgins!
#EvacuationDay #nyhistory #nychistory #lowermanhattan #americanrevolution
October 18, 1776 - The Battle of Pell's Point. Here's my latest video in the series: Battle for New York, 1776. Col John Glover, last known for successfully crossing Gen Washington's army from Brooklyn to Manhattan the night of August, 29, steps up again on October 18. His radical idea will delay a British attack long enough for Washington to make his move! The Mysteries At the Museum Episode mentioned is: Kidnapped Filmmaker, Pinky’s Freedom Ring and the Checkered Game of Life, Season 12 Episode 1.
