Introduction

The story of the origin of Hudson is inextricably connected to the experience of the American Revolution. The merchants and whalers of what would become Hudson, were the victims of emotional and economic trauma during the war. On the island of Nantucket, their goods, wealth and even sailors and other employees were impounded by the British at will; their ships sometimes stolen or destroyed, their lives and livelihoods disrupted and imperiled.

The founders of Hudson have storied connections to our country’s beginnings. Many of these subsequent settlers of Hudson identified with the revolutionaries seeking freedom from tyranny and were deeply involved in supporting the war. Some aided the effort for independence by loaning the Continental government money; some contracted with the Continental Navy to serve as privateers to disrupt the British navy; and some served in Continental militias and fought at such battles as Bunker Hill, Lexington and Yorktown. Even among the Quakers who adhered to their religion’s pacifist stance, there were those who simply believed in and hoped for the cause of independence from England.

As successful New England merchants and sea captains, the founders of our city in many cases knew the Founding Fathers personally. The correspondence and veterans’ documents featured in this exhibit are a sampling of the involvement of the leaders of Hudson in the Revolutionary War effort and in the new nation’s business. The men who founded Hudson served the Patriot cause before, during and after the Revolutionary War.

The birth of Hudson parallels the birth of the new United States of America. The same year that the founding fathers were creating a new nation, a democracy, the first of its kind, the Proprietors established the City of Hudson. They brought with them not only their expertise as merchants and sea captains, but also their passionate support of democracy and the spirit and determination to begin the new American experiment in a riverfront settlement.

This exhibit is a narrative of the lives of many of the leaders of early Hudson who contributed to the war effort, and how they built Hudson. It seeks to honor their sacrifice but also to present them, as much as the historic record allows us, as they were. For example, during our research we discovered three were enslavers and we have included that fact in the text on their lives. In some cases, the exhibit further ventures out to follow the accomplishments of the descendants of these men. One of the wonderful things about Hudson history is that it often leads out to the whole world.

As you view this exhibit, we hope you enjoy and learn and think deeply about our country as it celebrates its 250th anniversary of independence. And we hope you love the history of Hudson even more.

The Staff and Volunteers of the Hudson Area Library History Room