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Captain Charles Williamson was responsible for developing much of the Genesee Country between Preemption Line and the Genesee River. Source: Main, William, Charles Williamson, Cowan & Co., Ltd., Perth, 1899, frontpiece
He was a proud Tory and Captain in the British army who volunteered to fight for King George III against the rebellious colonists. She was a proud Patriot whose father graciously saw in this prisoner of war a common human element.
Before we get into this backstory, let’s review why it’s so important.
In December 1786, the states of New York and Massachusetts agreed to resolve a conflict started by the kings of England. Those monarchs made a royal mess of Western New York, at one time or another granting rights to all or portions of it to no less than five colonies.
By the end of the American Revolution, three states had claims to the Greater Western New York region: New York, Massachusetts, and Connecticut (a sliver along the southern tier). With Connecticut quickly quitting its claim, New York and Massachusetts stood nose-to-nose. With the Articles of Confederation dissolving, the two states decided to circumvent that ineffective parchment and meet in neutral territory. Ironically, this meeting took place in the state of Continue Reading “Lafayette’s Farewell Tour: How Commonality Saved Captain Charles Williamson And Western New York”
The Birth Of Western New York: Treaty of Hartford Explained
There were no celebrations. No proclamations. No public awareness.
The Treaty of Hartford untangled a century of confusion. Yet there was very little newspaper coverage of the event. Maybe because New England had more important news to cover.
Still, the long-term consequences could not be denied. The Commissioners in Hartford quietly altered the future of more than six million acres.
The birthplace of Greater Western New York was not a battlefield, a frontier settlement, or an Indian council fire. Rather, it took place at a cold negotiating table in Hartford, Connecticut.
It’s ironic that the formal birth of Western New York occurred during a raging snowstorm. The Continue Reading “The Birth Of Western New York: Treaty of Hartford Explained”