On Penalty of Death with Jeff O’Conner

“On Penalty of Death” will be presented by historian Jeff O’Conner as we finish up our NYS History Month series.

During the late spring of 1776, before the Declaration of Independence, New Dorlach was fertile ground for Sir John Johnson to expect support and possible recruits for Loyalist units then forming, like his own King’s Royal Regiment of New York. The Tryon County Committee of Safety discovered Johnson’s agents were going door to door seeking support and that the details of those discussions were not to be made public “on Penalty of Death.” What transpired in the committee’s investigation reveals much about the forming of a Loyalist community while the American Revolution began unfolding on New York’s western frontier.

As Crown support solidified, the chain of events that followed would affect this community, its neighbors, and the entire region for the duration of the American Revolution. This is a story not usually told locally but helps us understand some of the strange doings in New Dorlach during the war; there is also a peek into how a Loyalist community could endure it.

This program is free and open to the public. Held inside the Enders House on Schoharie Street, adjacent to our Visitor Center/Museum.