HUDSON — The 2021 speaker series of the Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution continues with a Flag Day program at 2:30 p.m. June 13. New York State DAR Regent Patrice Powley Birner will speak about the Lafayette Trail, a 25-state initiative sponsored by the Lafayette Trail Inc. and the William G. Pomeroy Foundation in preparation for the 2024-2025 bicentennial celebration.
In 1824, the French aristocrat General Lafayette, who had played a key role in securing victory over the British during the American Revolution, was invited by President James Monroe to visit the United States, then about to celebrate its 50-year anniversary. Upon his arrival on Staten Island, the general was greeted with open arms. He had been a favorite of the fondly remembered General Washington, who had acted as a surrogate father to the young Lafayette. As an advocate for democracy in both the American colonies and in France, and a proponent of abolition, the Frenchman was warmly welcomed on a thirteen-month tour of the United States. That was a trying time for the new nation, which was on the verge of being rent in two by pro- and anti-slavery factions. His visit spanned a highly controversial 1824 presidential election season in which the House of Representatives selected John Quincy Adams over the highest vote-getter, Andrew Jackson. Lafayette was a uniting force, and his presence served to remind Americans of their mutual bonds.
In preparation for the 2024-2025 bicentennial of Lafayette’s tour, 175 historical markers are being erected to memorialize this seminal event and the unifying effect it had on the young country. An interactive map of the general’s tour, showing that he visited the courthouse in Hudson in the fall of 1824, is available at thelafayettetrail.org/map.
The first two markers placed by the NYDAR were unveiled in May, one at Fort Hamilton in Brooklyn and one at Niagara Falls, with National Society President General Denise Doring VanBuren and State Regent Patrice Birner in attendance. The NYDAR is funding the placement of 10 markers in the state that will be joined by additional markers sponsored by the William G. Pomeroy Foundation.
Patrice Birner is the New York State Regent of the National Society Daughters of the American Revolution, which was formed in 1890 with the goals of historic preservation, education, and patriotism, to bring unity to the country. Birner will speak about Lafayette’s tour, his legacy, and the commemoration of it via the Lafayette Trail, which is the project that she as State Regent has made central to her administration. Birner hails from the Orleans Chapter, NSDAR, where she is joined in membership by her mother, her sister, two nieces, and two cousins. She served three years as State Historian for the NYDAR.
To register for the talk, visit the chapter’s webpage at hudson-dar.org/in-the-news.
The Hendrick Hudson Chapter of the DAR was chartered 125 years ago in 1896. A nonpartisan organization welcoming eligible women without regard to race, creed, or religion, it includes more than 100 members who trace their lineage back to a patriot in the American Revolution--whether serving as soldier, shopkeeper, or seamstress. In accordance with the National Society DAR, members work to perpetuate the memory and spirit of the women and men who achieved American independence, to promote the development of an enlightened public opinion, and to foster patriotic citizenship.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Robert Jenkins House tours, library, and chapter in-person activities have been curtailed pending state and local recommendations. In the interim, online meetings and activities are offered.