Setting the Stage for Revolution

The Queens County that existed on the eve of the American Revolution is long gone. Paved over and mapped out, it has given way to the streets, houses, parks, schools, and city infrastructure that surround us today. But as we approach the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, we have a chance to dig a little deeper, look beneath the surface, and remember that the way of life we enjoy today in our very ordinary communities has been shaped by the extraordinary people who came before us, the choices they made, and the ideals they held dear.

By the time our nation’s fathers gathered in Philadelphia for the Second Continental Congress, the northern shore of Long Island had already been shaped by more than a century of European presence, first the Dutch, and then the English. And long before Europeans ventured to the New World, this area was home to members of the Algonquin nation, whom Europeans called the Matinecock (a name that described the local geography: “hilly land”).

"[A] map of the most inhabited part of New England"; Tobias Conrad Lotter, 1776; Library of Congress

Each group of people who settled in what is now Bayside made their mark on the land. They raised families, cultivated farms, constructed houses, and built roads. Try to picture it as it was then: an agricultural community, with a patchwork of farms, orchards, meadows, and homesteads stretching toward the edge of Little Neck Bay. Families lived at a distance from one another, their lives linked by dirt roads, winding footpaths, and waterways. It was a world away from our bustling, densely populated neighborhoods of today.

Some of the individuals and families who shaped our region live on in place names and street names, and in scattered landmarked sites, monuments, and historic markers throughout the city. Over the coming weeks, these blog posts will introduce you to some of the key figures in local and U.S. history who called this area home.

But the story of our area, like the story of our nation, is not just about individuals. It’s about the ideals that took root in this soil, the belief that each one of us has the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And the ideas behind some of these essential freedoms, too, can be traced right to our backyard. I hope that these blog posts will allow us to dig a little deeper, peeling away the layers of time so we can explore our local history and the truly revolutionary thoughts and actions that helped shape the nation we celebrate this year. Here’s to a summer of discovery!