Righteous Rebellion: Echoes of the Anti-Rent War, August 21, 2014
Altamont Enterprise, August 14, 2014
New Deal art on raw deal strife: Participants in the Anti-Rent rebellion hid behind disguises. No photographs or first-hand depictions exist of genuine “calico Indians.” In 1940 artist Mary Early painted her version of “Down-Rent War, Around 1845” in the Delhi (NY) post office as part of the New Deal post office mural project. Documentarian Bruce Kennedy will lead a discussion of the issues of the rebellion on Thursday, Aug. 21, at 7 p.m. at the Octagon Barn in Knox. (from Bruce Kennedy)
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Woodstock before "3 days of peace & music": In 1937, townspeople at the Woodstock (NY) sesquicentennial pageant re-enacted the Anti-Rent rebellion. Photographer Konrad Cramer captured the men on horseback as they emerged from the trees to meet the sheriff. (from Bruce Kennedy)
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Filmmaker looks for response as Righteous Rebellion research continues
by Jane McLean
America’s largest and longest-running farmers’ rebellion took place in the 19th century throughout eastern New York, with the first large gathering of delegates held in Berne. When remembered at all, it has come to be known as the “Anti-Rent War.”
Last fall, filmmaker Bruce Kennedy presented a ‘rough edit’ of his documentary “Righteous Rebellion: Echoes of the Anti-Rent War” to a standing-room-only audience at the Octagon Barn in Knox. After careful consideration, he has decided to study the issues of this conflict further. On Thursday, August 21, he will return to the Octagon Barn to engage history enthusiasts in a discussion of the lessons learned from the Anti-Rent War.
Those who view this rebellion as a just cause acknowledge that it was also illegal. A popular uprising of tenant farmers against their fabulously wealthy landlords raises important questions. When is it permissible to break the law? When do higher imperatives demand breaching the boundaries of civil society? Can this revolt teach us important lessons about contemporary social and political conflicts?
Kennedy, a descendant of one of the rebellion’s leaders, was born in Troy, NY, and now lives in Asheville, NC. He has traveled extensively to study history where it actually happened. Since 2012, Kennedy has interviewed dozens of authorities and descendants of the Anti-Rent struggles. He has researched historical documents, collected personal stories, and filmed sites of the conflict. He returns to eastern New York this month to continue his research and film production while engaging in discussions about the issues surrounding the rebellion.
The film “Righteous Rebellion” will not be screened at this event, which is co-sponsored by Berne Historical Society, Helderberg Hilltowns Association, and Knox Historical Society. The program, starting at 7:00 p.m., is free and open to everyone. Refreshments will be served. The Octagon Barn is located at 588 Middle Road (County Route 262) near Beebe Road (County Route 259) in Knox (GPS 588 Middle Road, Delanson, NY 12053). For more information, please contact John Elberfeld of Knox Historical Society at (518) 872-2082 or [email protected]
Editor's Note: Jane McLean is the vice president of two of the organizations sponsoring the event--the Knox Historical Society and the Helderberg Hilltowns Association. Bruce Kennedy, who stays with McLean and her husband, John Elberfeld, while doing research in the Hilltowns helped with the article.
by Jane McLean
America’s largest and longest-running farmers’ rebellion took place in the 19th century throughout eastern New York, with the first large gathering of delegates held in Berne. When remembered at all, it has come to be known as the “Anti-Rent War.”
Last fall, filmmaker Bruce Kennedy presented a ‘rough edit’ of his documentary “Righteous Rebellion: Echoes of the Anti-Rent War” to a standing-room-only audience at the Octagon Barn in Knox. After careful consideration, he has decided to study the issues of this conflict further. On Thursday, August 21, he will return to the Octagon Barn to engage history enthusiasts in a discussion of the lessons learned from the Anti-Rent War.
Those who view this rebellion as a just cause acknowledge that it was also illegal. A popular uprising of tenant farmers against their fabulously wealthy landlords raises important questions. When is it permissible to break the law? When do higher imperatives demand breaching the boundaries of civil society? Can this revolt teach us important lessons about contemporary social and political conflicts?
Kennedy, a descendant of one of the rebellion’s leaders, was born in Troy, NY, and now lives in Asheville, NC. He has traveled extensively to study history where it actually happened. Since 2012, Kennedy has interviewed dozens of authorities and descendants of the Anti-Rent struggles. He has researched historical documents, collected personal stories, and filmed sites of the conflict. He returns to eastern New York this month to continue his research and film production while engaging in discussions about the issues surrounding the rebellion.
The film “Righteous Rebellion” will not be screened at this event, which is co-sponsored by Berne Historical Society, Helderberg Hilltowns Association, and Knox Historical Society. The program, starting at 7:00 p.m., is free and open to everyone. Refreshments will be served. The Octagon Barn is located at 588 Middle Road (County Route 262) near Beebe Road (County Route 259) in Knox (GPS 588 Middle Road, Delanson, NY 12053). For more information, please contact John Elberfeld of Knox Historical Society at (518) 872-2082 or [email protected]
Editor's Note: Jane McLean is the vice president of two of the organizations sponsoring the event--the Knox Historical Society and the Helderberg Hilltowns Association. Bruce Kennedy, who stays with McLean and her husband, John Elberfeld, while doing research in the Hilltowns helped with the article.
Altamont Enterprise, August 7, 2014
Stitched History: The first large gathering of anti-rent delegates took place in the Lutheran church in Berne in 1845. This “calico Indian” is blowing a tin horn and urging his neighbors to join the movement. It is part of the Knox Bicentennial quilt, curated by Knox Historical Society. (photo by Bruce Kennedy)
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Bruce Kennedy began filming his documentary “Righteous Rebellion” in the Hilltowns last summer. He returns this month to continue his research into America’s longest-running farmers’ rebellion. He will speak at the Octagon Barn in Knox on Thursday, August 21. (photo by Bruce Kennedy)
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To the Editor:
Last October Bruce Kennedy showed a rough edit of his documentary “Righteous Rebellion” to an overflow crowd at the Octagon Barn in Knox. He returns to the area next week to further his study of the 19th century rebellion by the farmers against their fabulously wealthy patroon landlords.
Kennedy is seeking public input to his questions ranging from “When is it OK to break the law” to “Are there important lessons this revolt can still teach us about contemporary social and political conflicts?”
On Thursday, August 21, at 7:00 p.m., local history enthusiasts are invited to the Octagon Barn to continue this discussion and add to Kennedy’s work-in-progress. The film will not be shown at this event. Sponsors are the Berne Historical Society, Helderberg Hilltowns Association, and Knox Historical Society. The event is free, open to everyone, and refreshments will be served.
The Octagon Barn is located at 588 Middle Road (county route 262), Knox (588 Middle Road, Delanson NY 12053 for GPS). Feel free to contact me at (518) 872-2082 or [email protected] for more information.
Sincerely,
John K. Elberfeld
Helderberg Hilltowns Association
Last October Bruce Kennedy showed a rough edit of his documentary “Righteous Rebellion” to an overflow crowd at the Octagon Barn in Knox. He returns to the area next week to further his study of the 19th century rebellion by the farmers against their fabulously wealthy patroon landlords.
Kennedy is seeking public input to his questions ranging from “When is it OK to break the law” to “Are there important lessons this revolt can still teach us about contemporary social and political conflicts?”
On Thursday, August 21, at 7:00 p.m., local history enthusiasts are invited to the Octagon Barn to continue this discussion and add to Kennedy’s work-in-progress. The film will not be shown at this event. Sponsors are the Berne Historical Society, Helderberg Hilltowns Association, and Knox Historical Society. The event is free, open to everyone, and refreshments will be served.
The Octagon Barn is located at 588 Middle Road (county route 262), Knox (588 Middle Road, Delanson NY 12053 for GPS). Feel free to contact me at (518) 872-2082 or [email protected] for more information.
Sincerely,
John K. Elberfeld
Helderberg Hilltowns Association