Introduction

Detail from Edwin White's Thoughts of the Future, 1861. The New York Historical. 

There are no known photographs of John Hasbrouck, born to enslaved parents Peg and Philip. We know John through 19th-century documents such as government records, account books (including two extraordinary books he kept himself), newspaper clippings, and a few personal notes, letters, and receipts. From these fragments, we can form an impression of an intelligent, industrious, and imaginative man, who overcame the challenges of growing up under gradual abolition to marry and raise a family, purchase land, and become one of the first African Americans eligible to vote in New Paltz, New York.

This online exhibit reflects new discoveries about John’s family connections and his early adult years as a free man, as well as previously unexplored connections to both the Black and White communities of New Paltz. It updates and greatly expands the exhibit text for John Hasbrouck, “A Most Estimable Citizen,” installed at the DuBois Fort Visitor Center, Historic Huguenot Street, in 2017 and 2018.

Join us for a special virtual presentation about John Hasbrouck and his family on Tbursday, November 12, 2026 at 7 pm. For more information and to register, click here.