Between November 25 and 28, 1776, over five hundred New York residents signed what became known as the Declaration of Dependence, declaring their loyalty to the British Crown. This document stood in sharp contrast to the Declaration of Independence ratified and signed just a few months earlier by the rebellious colonies. Between July 4 and November 28, 1776, the British Army fought for and secured New York City, where it would remain headquartered for the remainder of the war. For eight long years, New York State saw some of the most enduring conflicts of the war, pitting families against each other, and subjecting civilians to some of the most brutal “exigencies of war,” as George Washington once put it.
Declaring dependence often came with a cost. Loyalists across the state were displaced by political violence, turning many into refugees. Those who remained in their homes often faced public censure and a struggle to make ends meet. Many Loyalists in New York were targeted first by Committees of Safety, then Commissioners of Sequestration, and after the state legislature passed the 1779 Act of Attainder, by Commissioners of Forfeiture, as they found themselves dispossessed of their homes and properties. During and after the war, some Loyalists escaped into self-imposed exile, while others were formally exiled from the colony on pain of death.
As we mark the 250th Anniversary of the American Revolution, Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site and Johnson Hall State Historic Site are partnering to highlight the experiences of Loyalists in New York throughout the war. They will host a public symposium, “Declaring Dependence: Loyalist in Revolutionary New York” on November 14-15, 2026 at Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site (29 Warburton Ave.) in Yonkers, NY. The symposium will take place in-person and will also be broadcast online.
This two-day symposium will present the experiences of Loyalists of all backgrounds throughout New York during the Revolution. We invite historians (academic, public, and/or local), students, museum professionals, living history interpreters, and researchers to submit papers or proposals on Loyalists in New York, including but not limited to:
· Black Loyalists and enslaved populations,
· Indigenous allies and neutral parties,
· Military personnel, including Loyalist, provincial, refugee, and other units
· Espionage and spycraft
· Civilians, including women, tenant farmers, freeholders, etc.
· Prisoners of war and political prisoners,
· Political violence and abuse of Loyalists, before, during, and after the war
· The Loyalist diaspora, including Loyalists in exile abroad, refugees, and those expelled or displaced post-war
· Daily life in British-controlled New York City
· Loyalist perspectives on politics, battles, etc.
· Ongoing or upcoming efforts to bring Loyalist history to the public eye
Both finished research papers/talks and in-process research are of interest.
We especially encourage proposals highlighting previously under-represented communities and stories.
Presentations may be as long as 40 minutes. Those submitting in-process research may be allocated a 15 minute lightning round. Those wishing to apply as a complete panel of up to 3 speakers may do so. Individual applicants may be placed on panels by the proposal committee. Please include with your proposal:
1. Your name, affiliation/institution, and location
2. The paper/proposal title
3. A 200-300 word abstract of your proposal/paper
4. A curriculum vitae (CV – no longer than 2 pages)with links to any published research
Please submit all proposals as PDF attachments to philipsemanorhall@Parks.ny.gov no later than Monday, July 6, 2026.
Dating back to the 1680s, Philipse Manor Hall sits near the confluence of the Nepperhan (Saw Mill) and Hudson Rivers, the site of a Munsee Lunaape village. Used by four generations of the Philipse family and worked by the people they enslaved and European tenant farmers, the Philipse Manor was once over 200,000 acres and helped make the Philipse family the richest in New York. The Philipses were Loyalists during the American Revolution and suffered political imprisonment, fought for the British, and ultimately were dispossessed of their 200,000 acre estate by New York State’s 1779 Act of Attainder. Forced to leave the colony on pain of death, in 1783 they fled to England. Their estate was auctioned off and Philipse Manor Hall later became Yonkers City Hall before being saved as a museum in 1908.
Johnson Hall was the 1763 Georgian-style estate of Anglo-Irish immigrant Sir William Johnson (1715 - 1774) and Molly Brant/ Konwatsi'tsiaienni of the Mohawks (1736-1796). They resided here with their eight children, numerous Native and European guests, and a large number of free, indentured, and enslaved servants. Their combined influence made them the most powerful family in the colonial Mohawk Valley, deeply impacting the diplomacy of the region and their wider worlds. Following the death of Sir William in 1774, Molly and her children left Johnson Hall, and his eldest son John inherited both the property and title of Baronet. By 1776, the new Revolutionary government forced this Loyalist family and many of their supporters to flee to Canada under threat of imprisonment and violence. Johnson Hall was seized and looted, with most of its remaining contents subsequently sold at auction following the war. In 1906 it was acquired by the State of New York and opened as a State Historic Site.
