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Fall Lecture Series: When the Declaration of Independence Was News

Written by Kelsey S on . Posted in Events, Past Events.

NOV

5

Fall Lecture Series: When the Declaration of Independence Was News

Saratoga National Historical Park Visitor Center

November 5, 2026

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The chill in the air can only mean one thing—it’s time for lectures! Saratoga National Historical Park and the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield will soon welcome a series of distinguished scholars and historians for its annual Fall Lecture Series. These speakers will discuss a variety of topics to help us examine and better understand our shared histories as we mark the 250th anniversaries of the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States. Reservations are required and may be made by emailing SARA_reservations@nps.gov.

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Published for the 250th anniversary of the United States, When the Declaration of Independence Was News focuses on the nation’s founding document at the moment of its creation in 1776, before anyone knew what the legacy of the Declaration would be or if the United States would win the war against Great Britain. It explores how the Declaration was communicated to people in the new nation and around the Atlantic world and reveals the stories of the many people involved in the process of declaring independence, from printers to soldiers to diplomats to translators.

Dr. Emily Sneff is an early American historian and leading expert on the Declaration of Independence. She earned her Ph.D. in History from William & Mary. She was a consulting curator for exhibitions marking the 250th anniversary of the Declaration at the Museum of the American Revolution and Historic Trappe.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email SARA_Reservations@nps.gov to reserve your seat!

Reserve Your Seat

UPCOMING EVENTS

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  Keep America’s Turning Point Alive  icon-star-red

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Saratoga National Historical Park Sign

Fall Lecture Series: Illuminating Lives: The Stories of Several Women During the American War for Independence

Written by Kelsey S on . Posted in Events, Past Events.

OCT

29

Fall Lecture Series: Illuminating Lives: The Stories of Several Women During the American War for Independence

Saratoga National Historical Park Visitor Center

October 29, 2026

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The chill in the air can only mean one thing—it’s time for lectures! Saratoga National Historical Park and the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield will soon welcome a series of distinguished scholars and historians for its annual Fall Lecture Series. These speakers will discuss a variety of topics to help us examine and better understand our shared histories as we mark the 250th anniversaries of the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States. Reservations are required and may be made by emailing SARA_reservations@nps.gov.

Reserve Your Seat

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Using a variety of archival sources and research techniques, Saratoga National Historical Park Curator Christine Valosin will talk about six different women with ties to the Schuyler family or estate, illuminating little known stories of their lives during the turbulent years of the American War for Independence. The scope includes Barbara Gray Schuyler, Hannah Pettit, Bet and Britt (whose stories are closely intertwined and therefore presented together), Mary McAlpin, and Catherine Schuyler. Many of these women left little written evidence of their own, so their stories are reconstructed from indirect sources and contextual clues, allowing us to better understand their contributions and perspectives.

The focus is on the years 1776–1783, with the Schuyler Estate serving as the central anchor. The goal is to dig deep and tell a story about each woman so that we can say “we know them a little better now.”

A practiced genealogist, Valosin integrates information gleaned from a variety of sources. For this talk, she used material from Philip Schuyler’s Store Ledger, letters, 18th century prints, wartime ledger accounts, land records from the Philip Schuyler Papers, local and town histories, pension records, published and unpublished family histories, newspaper accounts, Loyalist Papers, and church records. Each source provides a different perspective, collectively illuminating the lives of six women whose contributions to the Schuyler Estate and the Revolutionary era illuminates our historical memory.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email SARA_Reservations@nps.gov to reserve your seat!

Reserve Your Seat

UPCOMING EVENTS

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  Keep America’s Turning Point Alive  icon-star-red

Keep America’s Turning Point alive for generations to come by making a tax-deductible donation to the Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc. Our certified 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and preservation of critical assets of the Battles of Saratoga. Your support will help promote historical awareness of new generations of people across the region, nation, and globe.

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Fall Lecture Series: Morgan Lewis: The Making of a Patriot

Written by Kelsey S on . Posted in Events, Past Events.

OCT

22

Fall Lecture Series: Morgan Lewis: The Making of a Patriot

Saratoga National Historical Park Visitor Center

October 22, 2026

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The chill in the air can only mean one thing—it’s time for lectures! Saratoga National Historical Park and the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield will soon welcome a series of distinguished scholars and historians for its annual Fall Lecture Series. These speakers will discuss a variety of topics to help us examine and better understand our shared histories as we mark the 250th anniversaries of the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States. Reservations are required and may be made by emailing SARA_reservations@nps.gov.

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Morgan Lewis is an often-overlooked figure of the American Revolution but one who was at the center of some of the most pivotal moments in the formation of America.  The son of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, he defined a generation of young officers who, despite their youth and inexperience, brought tenacity and intellect that was the foundation for victory. His story is a far more complex and colorful narrative that provides a view into many aspects of life during the American Revolution and the early republic. From Princeton student to Quartermaster-General of the Northern Department during the War, to eventually serving as Governor of New York. We’ll explore his extraordinary life and a future that was defined by the Battle of Saratoga.

Presenter TR Hamilton is the Director of Preservation & Collections at the Webb Deane Stevens Museum in Wethersfield, CT which includes the home of America’s first diplomat Silas Deane.  He holds a BA in historic preservation from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA and an MS in conservation architecture from the University of Edinburgh in Edinburgh, UK. He has over twenty years of experience working with historic sites in the United States and United Kingdom with a focus on the built environment and material culture of the 17th to early 20th centuries.

Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email SARA_Reservations@nps.gov to reserve your seat!

Reserve Your Seat

UPCOMING EVENTS

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  Keep America’s Turning Point Alive  icon-star-red

Keep America’s Turning Point alive for generations to come by making a tax-deductible donation to the Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc. Our certified 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and preservation of critical assets of the Battles of Saratoga. Your support will help promote historical awareness of new generations of people across the region, nation, and globe.

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Fall Lecture Series: The Woes of Richard Montgomery Part Two: The Sad Retreat from Canada in 1776

Written by Kelsey S on . Posted in Events, Past Events.

OCT

8

Fall Lecture Series: The Woes of Richard Montgomery Part Two: The Sad Retreat from Canada in 1776

Saratoga National Historical Park Visitor Center

October 8, 2026

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The chill in the air can only mean one thing—it’s time for lectures! Saratoga National Historical Park and the Friends of Saratoga Battlefield will soon welcome a series of distinguished scholars and historians for its annual Fall Lecture Series. These speakers will discuss a variety of topics to help us examine and better understand our shared histories as we mark the 250th anniversaries of the Revolutionary War and the founding of the United States. Reservations are required and may be made by emailing SARA_reservations@nps.gov.

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Join Dutchess County Historian Will Tatum for the conclusion of the sorrowful story of the Continental Army’s Invasion of Canada, launched in 1775. From August into December, American forces under the command of Brigadier General Richard Montgomery of Rhinebeck, NY, fought their way to the gates of Quebec City, where Montgomery famously died on New Year’s Eve. But the story doesn’t end there: what happened to the thousands of American troops still surrounding the Canadian Capital and garrisoned throughout the 14th Colony? Why does this campaign, which occupied a significant amount of attention during the first half of 2026, remain relatively unknown today? What were the consequences of the Canadian Campaign upon the later defense of New York and the Champlain Corridor when the British Army returned in force on both fronts? Join us to learn how the Woes of Richard Montgomery survived his demise, continuing to complicate the struggle for American Independence over the following year.

William P. Tatum III holds a Ph.D. in History from Brown University, focusing on the eighteenth-century British Empire. He is a peer-reviewed published author and delivers approximately 20 original research-based programs every year. Dr. Tatum has served as the official government historian of Dutchess County since October 2012 and has led the Dutchess County Rev250 Committee since 2019.Support for the Fall Lecture Series is provided by Friends of Saratoga Battlefield. Reservations are required due to limited space. Email SARA_Reservations@nps.gov to reserve your seat!

Reserve Your Seat

UPCOMING EVENTS

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  Keep America’s Turning Point Alive  icon-star-red

Keep America’s Turning Point alive for generations to come by making a tax-deductible donation to the Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc. Our certified 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and preservation of critical assets of the Battles of Saratoga. Your support will help promote historical awareness of new generations of people across the region, nation, and globe.

Learn More

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Knox Trail

A Tale of Two Knox Commissions

Written by Kelsey S on . Posted in Events, Past Events.

OCT

13

A Tale of Two Knox Commissions

Champlain Canal Region Gateway Visitor Center

October 13, 2026

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Saratoga 250 will host historian Ben Haley for a look at how Massachusetts and New York sought, jointly at first, to commemorate Henry Knox’s 1775–76 winter artillery trek. Haley, Director of the National Register of Historic Places program for Massachusetts, will examine how that early cooperation ultimately gave way to competing priorities and divergent interpretations.

A short film marking the 250th milestone of the bistate Henry Knox Noble Train of Artillery commemoration was produced and aired on regional PBS affiliates, community libraries, and was selected for the Ames IA Film Festival

Henry Knox: Resolve Forged by Revolution

  • Knox Trail

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In this richly illustrated program, Haley traces the creation of the Massachusetts and New York Knox commissions, the bodies responsible for installing the granite monuments that still mark the “Knox Trail” across both states. He will explore the surge of interest in Knox’s expedition during the 1920s, the political and cultural forces that shaped its commemoration, and the ambitions that led each state to assert stewardship over the story.

Haley will also examine how the commissions’ initial spirit of collaboration gave way to the practical challenges of coordinating a bi-state heritage initiative. The result is a closer look at how public memory is constructed, and how it can fracture.

An expanded essay on this topic will appear next year in the Historical Journal of Massachusetts.

This program is part of Saratoga 250’s ongoing series highlighting scholarship, commemoration, and community engagement leading up to the 250th anniversary of the Battles of Saratoga. The Gateway Visitor Center is free and wheelchair accessible.

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Keep America’s Turning Point alive for generations to come by making a tax-deductible donation to the Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc. Our certified 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and preservation of critical assets of the Battles of Saratoga. Your support will help promote historical awareness of new generations of people across the region, nation, and globe.

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Candlelight Tours at the Schuyler House

Written by Kelsey S on . Posted in Events, Past Events.

OCT

14

Candlelight Tours at the Schuyler House

October 14, 2026

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Experience the warm glow and quiet atmosphere of an 18th‑century home lit entirely by candlelight. Presented in partnership with the Old Saratoga Historical Association, this evening program invites visitors to explore the Schuyler estate and hear stories about the people who lived, worked, and visited there.

Reservations required here; limited capacity.

Make Your Reservation Today!

Event Details

  • Start Time

    6:00 pm

  • End Time

    9:00 pm

  • Location

    General Philip Schuyler House, US Route 4, Schuylerville

UPCOMING EVENTS

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  Keep America’s Turning Point Alive  icon-star-red

Keep America’s Turning Point alive for generations to come by making a tax-deductible donation to the Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc. Our certified 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and preservation of critical assets of the Battles of Saratoga. Your support will help promote historical awareness of new generations of people across the region, nation, and globe.

Learn More

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Hamilton Outdoor Movie Night

Written by Kelsey S on . Posted in Events, Past Events.

OCT

10

Hamilton Outdoor Movie Night

6:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Saratoga National Historical Park, Schuylerville

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Join Saratoga National Historical Park (SNHP) to watch the renowned story featuring the Schuyler sisters on the lawn of their father’s Saratoga estate as the Schuyler sisters take center stage in the hit Broadway musical, “Hamilton!” (Rated PG-13, runtime, 160 Minutes)

Bring your own lawn chairs, blankets & enjoy!

  • View of the The Schuyler House property from the front

Event Details

  • Start Time

    6:30 PM

  • Location

    Schuyler Estate, 4 Broad Street, Schuylerville, NY

Get Directions

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Keep America’s Turning Point Alive icon-star-red

Keep America’s Turning Point alive for generations to come by making a tax-deductible donation to the Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc. Our certified 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and preservation of critical assets of the Battles of Saratoga. Your support will help promote historical awareness of new generations of people across the region, nation, and globe.

Learn More

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Victory Season at Saratoga: Celebrate Surrender Day!

Written by Kelsey S on . Posted in Events, Past Events.

OCT

17

Victory Season at Saratoga: Celebrate Surrender Day!

October 17, 2026

Saratoga National Historical Park

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On the 249th anniversary of the Surrender at Saratoga, explore the sites where history was made! Saratoga250, in partnership with Saratoga National Historical Park, will have five sites open where you can learn about the event known as the Turning Point of the American Revolution! A free trolley provided by our partners at CDTA will allow you to move easily between sites with an onboard guide to answer questions. Saratoga NHP Park Rangers will be at several sites to engage with the public on this anniversary date.

  • A group gathered at the The Schuyler House listening to a tour guide

Event Details

  • Start Time

    10:00 am

  • End Time

    3:00 pm

  • Location

    Saratoga National Historical Park, General Philip Schuyler House / Saratoga Revolutionary Experience Center & more.

  • Parking is recommended at either the Saratoga Revolutionary Experience Center in Fort Hardy Park (30 Ferry St. Schuylerville) or the General Philip Schuyler House (4 Broad St. Schuylerville). The other sites have limited parking, so take the trolley instead!

Additional Details

Featured Sites
  • Saratoga Revolutionary Experience Center 
  • General Philip Schuyler House
  • Saratoga Sword Surrender Site
  • Victory Woods (self-guided walking tour)
  • The Saratoga Monument

Visitors should plan to use our Saratoga Revolutionary Experience Passport to check in to participating sites visited, including wonderful local options for breakfast, lunch, dessert, or brewery beverages. Free to participate, compete for a chance to win Saratoga 250 prizes.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Keep America’s Turning Point Alive icon-star-red

Keep America’s Turning Point alive for generations to come by making a tax-deductible donation to the Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc. Our certified 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and preservation of critical assets of the Battles of Saratoga. Your support will help promote historical awareness of new generations of people across the region, nation, and globe.

Learn More

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Victory Season at Saratoga 249th Surrender Day Commemorative Concert

Written by Kelsey S on . Posted in Events, Past Events.

OCT

17

Victory Season at Saratoga 249th Surrender Day Commemorative Concert

7:00 PM – 8:30 PM

Arts Center on the Hudson, Mechanicville

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Join us for an evening of history and harmony as we mark the 249th anniversary of the British surrender at Saratoga. This commemorative concert features 18th-century music performed by the renowned Musicians of Ma’alwyck, joined by award winning soprano Vedrana Kalas, and is punctuated by the insightful historical insights of featured speaker Eric Schnitzer, Saratoga NHP Ranger and Military Historian, who will share firsthand accounts of the surrender from diverse perspectives. 

The event will include the announcement and presentation of the Saratoga 250 annual high school senior scholarship winners. Doors open at 6:30 PM with the program running from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM at the Arts Center on the Hudson in Mechanicville, NY.

Tickets and silent auction raffle prizes will support the continued programming efforts of the nonprofit Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc.

  • John Trumbull's painting of the Surrender of General Burgoyne

Event Details

  • Start Time

    Doors open at 6:30 PM, Program begins at 7:00 PM

  • End Time

    8:30 PM

  • Location

    Arts Center on the Hudson, 2 S. Main Street, Mechanicville, NY 

Get Directions

With Thanks to Presenting Sponsor the Dash Family

Don’t miss this unique commemoration marking one year to Saratoga’s 250th!

Speakers:

  • Featuring, Eric Schnitzer: Saratoga NHP Ranger & Military Historian with insights and excerpts of eye witness accounts of the surrender
  • Special insights on the once in a generation 2027 250th Battles of Saratoga series of events by the Campaign for Saratoga 250 Board President, Robertt D. Wilcox.

Performers:

  • Musicians of Ma’alwyck: Instrumental ensemble (flute, violin, cello, keyboard, guitar)
  • Vedrana Kalas: Soprano

Composers & Music Program

  • Domenico Scarlatti: Excerpts from a secular cantata
  • Thomas Arne: Overture and the aria “A Soldier Tir’d of War’s Alarms”
  • George Frideric Handel: Piangero aria from Giulio Cesare
  • Traditional/Era-Appropriate Works: A set of hornpipes, a ground, and various Scottish music
  • Additional potential repertoire by the musicians

Purchase your Tickets Now & Support ongoing Saratoga Revolutionary programming, including new interpretive exhibits and the major 250th series of events.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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Keep America’s Turning Point Alive icon-star-red

Keep America’s Turning Point alive for generations to come by making a tax-deductible donation to the Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc. Our certified 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and preservation of critical assets of the Battles of Saratoga. Your support will help promote historical awareness of new generations of people across the region, nation, and globe.

Learn More

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saratoga 250 reenactors with cannon

America’s 250th Independence Day with Saratoga 250 at Historic Saratoga Race Course

Written by Brad Colacino on . Posted in Events, Past Events.

JUL

4

Saratoga Race Course

Celebrate America’s 250th Independence Day in true Saratoga style at the historic Saratoga Race Course!

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Event Details

Join Saratoga 250 on July 4th for a patriotic community gathering that honors our nation’s founding and the region’s pivotal role in American history.

Enjoy a festive atmosphere filled with tradition, pride, and celebration at one of Saratoga’s most iconic landmarks. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime way to mark this milestone anniversary together.

Free Giveaway

Saratoga 250 & Saratoga Race Course branded thermal cup with lid – available first come, first serve with paid admission. 

Victory Cannon Display

Perfect for photo ops on America’s 250th, the replica 1777 era artillery piece is located in the backyard between the clubhouse entry & the scenic Saratoga Race Course paddock. 

2nd MA Regiment Historians

Living historians in authentic Revolutionary era kit will lead a processional before the 4th race in front of the grandstand to recite part of the Declaration of Independence & accessible for discussion & photos near the cannon & throughout the grounds. 

Fife & Drum

Historic music accompanying the procession and historians by Musicians of Ma’alwyck performers throughout the afternoon.

Saratoga 250 Race

A featured thoroughbred race of the traditional July 4th Racing Festival will be dedicated to Saratoga 250 & the coming 2027 250th anniversary of the momentous American Victory at Saratoga.

Freeman’s Farm at Saratoga by War Cannon Spirits

Premium NYS certified distilled “Freeman’s Farm at Saratoga” bourbon by War Cannon Spirits available at Premium on grounds bars & restaurants – try the Saratoga 250 cocktail of the 2026 Saratoga Race course, “Victory at Saratoga,” where available (must be 21 years of age or above). 

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UPCOMING EVENTS

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Keep America’s Turning Point Alive icon-star-red

Keep America’s Turning Point alive for generations to come by making a tax-deductible donation to the Campaign for Saratoga 250, Inc. Our certified 501c3 nonprofit organization is dedicated to promoting awareness, education, and preservation of critical assets of the Battles of Saratoga. Your support will help promote historical awareness of new generations of people across the region, nation, and globe.

Learn More

Continue reading