At the Rundel Memorial Building of the Rochester Public Library, an expansive exhibit, "Sketching Rochester's Revolutionary Roots," explores this region's connections to the American Revolution.
A collection of artifacts, flags, photographs, replicas of colonial weapons and uniforms, a war drum, artwork and more stretch the width of the Anthony Mascioli Gallery on the library’s first floor.
The exhibit is meant to portray a more accurate account of the country’s rise to independence, not only stories of white men who have long been praised for their roles in the Revolution.
"That's really just a small part of the story, you know," said Christine Ridarksy, Rochester and Monroe County's historian, who noted that African American men, Native American men, and women of all races were highly involved in the war.
One such patriot is Garret Van Schaick, an enslaved man from New York who was forced into battle by his enslaver, Continental Army officer Goose Van Schaick. Garret is buried somewhere in Monroe County in a grave of unknown soldiers.
"Because he was serving under Goose Van Schaik, he had to lead the charge in the Clinton Sullivan campaign, and oftentimes, as an enslaved person, he had to commit atrocious acts because his employer told him to," said Brianna O'Shea, whose recent research uncovered the soldier's story.
The campaign destroyed Native American villages across upstate New York and eastern Pennsylvania and directly or indirectly led to the deaths of hundreds of Indigenous people.
O'Shea is a direct descendent of white men who also fought for American independence. One of her ancestors, Israel Stone, was a Revolutionary war veteran who co-founded the village of Northfield, which is now known as Pittsford. She is a member of the Irondequoit chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and leads the chapter's participation in the E Pluribus Unum Educational Initiative, a national program that uncovers and highlights the contributions of underrepresented Revolutionary War patriots.
During its first nine decades nationally, DAR denied membership to Black women. That changed in 1984 after a high-profile challenge to the organization's bylaws.
Today, they actively encourage Black and Native American women to explore their family's history.
But that could be challenging for some. To verify an ancestral link to a soldier of the Revolution or a person who aided the country's independence in some other way, applicants must provide birth, marriage, and death certificates.
"It is definitely more difficult for a person of color to trace their connections," Ridarksy said.
"And I think that is largely because of the way that society has devalued those people and the records related to their service. In many cases, African American people were enslaved during their service."
About the Irondequoit DAR chapter
The Irondequoit chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution is based in Rochester's Corn Hill neighborhood, in the historic Hervey Ely house on Troup Street. Irondequoit was chosen as a name for the group as a nod to the region's indigenous heritage. Suffragist leader Susan B. Anthony was an early member of the chapter, which remains among the largest DAR organizations in New York, with 114 current members.
To help in those searches, DAR has several genealogical resources, including a free database to trace African American, Native American, and multiracial heritages.
Phyllis Breen leads the Irondequoit DAR chapter and is enthusiastic about welcoming new members of all backgrounds.
Breen's sixth great-grandfather, Phillip Hinkle, was a Hessian soldier from Germany who was paid to fight for the British. He was captured as a prisoner of war when British Lieutenant General John Burgoyne surrendered at Saratoga in 1777. Hinkle later escaped and joined the Continental Army. "Because he believed in what the Americans were fighting for, and so he switched sides, and he is now one of my patriots," Breen said.
She is researching other possible family connections to the Revolution through her Native American ancestors.
"You always want to share your information and hope that it lights a spark for somebody, just like this exhibit. I just hope it lights a spark," she said.
Some of the artifacts in the exhibit, including a writing desk that would have been used by a Revolutionary officer, are from Breen's personal collection. She is clearly proud of her heritage and wants to spread the word about her organization.
DAR chapters work in their local communities promoting historic preservation, education, citizenship, and patriotism. And for generations, they and other lineage societies promoted an idealized, Eurocentric view of the Revolution.
"For many years, we remembered names like Thomas Jefferson, remember George Washington, and we see him as a hero," said O'Shea. "But we forget the stories of the things that George Washington did, like signing orders to go and raid Seneca villages, we have to tell those stories."
Now, as the United States celebrates its first 250 years, that limited and sometimes romanticized perspective has been cast aside.
O'Shea says calling attention to those forgotten patriots is her passion.
"We have to encompass all of the American Revolution," she said. "It's not just one side versus the other, it's more like a cube. There's so many different sides, and all of those sides contributed to one independence of our country."
