John Jay was by no means the only member of his family whose life was enmeshed in public affairs. The 2010 John Jay Lecture Series, entitled "Through the Eyes of Three Generations of Jays," will explore the involvement of John and William Jay and John Jay II with some of the consequential events of their generations. Lecture dates are February 4, March 18 and April 15, 2010.
The first lecture, on February 4, will explore the role of John Jay II in the New York draft riots, with author Barnet Schecter discussing his book The Devil's Own Work: The Civil War Draft Riots and the Fight to Reconstruct America. In four violent days just after Gettysburg and the Emancipation Proclamation, the draft riots laid bare the divisions between ethnic groups in fast-growing New York, and nearly destroyed the city. John Jay II was a prominent New York Republican who corresponded regularly with leaders in Washington about the causes of the draft riots and about possible responses to the escalating violence. Schecter is a writer and historian based in Manhattan who has also written about architecture, urban planning and urban history. The second lecture, on March 18, will feature author Cliff Sloan and his book The Great Decision: Jefferson, Adams, Marshall, and the Battle for the Supreme Court. While John Jay was first Chief Justice, the Supreme Court had not yet claimed the power to declare an act of Congress unconstitutional; that took John Marshall as third Chief Justice and his opinion in Marbury v. Madison. Sloan's book explores the politics of the 1800 election, which is said to be the first peaceful transfer of power between political groups, and the still-controversial reasoning of the landmark opinion. Sloan is a former Supreme Court clerk, former publisher of Slate magazine, and currently a partner at Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom in Washington, DC. The third and final lecture, on April 15, features author Graham Russell Gao Hodges, and his book, David Ruggles: A Radical Black Abolitionist and the Underground Railroad in New York City. Ruggles was of one of the most heroic figures of the early abolitionist movement in America. A bookstore owner and publisher in New York City, he was an essential link between disparate anti-slavery groups, and a force for radicalizing some of those groups. William Jay supported his work in several crucial ways, including financing his investigation of the kidnapping of Rye resident Peter Lee (a free man), and prosecuting a Portuguese sea captain whom Ruggles had arrested for slave trading. Mr. Hodges has written and edited several other books, including Root & Branch: African Americans in New York and East Jersey, 1613-1863; he is the George Dorland Langdon, Jr. Professor of History and Africana and Latin American Studies at Colgate University.
Lectures are held in the Ballroom at John Jay Homestead State Historic Site at 7:00 p.m. (registration beginning at 6:30 p.m.), and followed by a short reception and book-signing. Reservations are recommended. Click here to download the PDF of the invitation. For more information about the lecture series, or to receive an invitation, please call the Friends office at (914) 232-8119; email friends@johnjayhomestead.org.
Exhibition: From Oppression to
Freedom: John Jay and
His Huguenot Heritage
This new exhibit in the
Back Parlor Gallery will run through most of 2010. For more
information, click on the link below.
The Mission of Friends of John Jay Homestead, Inc., a not-for-profit, educational corporation founded in 1977, is to increase public appreciation and awareness of the history of our nation, our region and John Jay. Jay’s many contributions as a founding father of our country; to encourage use of John Jay Homestead State Historic Site for both educational and recreational purposes; and to supplement the work of New York State by providing funding work and volunteer assistance for the preservation, restoration and interpretation of the site, which dates from 1787.
Seasons/Hours:
Grounds are open year round from sunrise to
sunset. The historic house is open for tours on the hour during the times listed below or by appointment. The last tour of the day is one hour prior to closing. April - October:
Tuesdays thru Saturdays (10AM - 4PM) Sundays (11AM - 4PM)
Current Gallery Hours: Fridays (10AM - 12PM) Sundays (12PM - 2PM) Admission is $2.00
School and group visits are by appointment only. Please call the site at 914.232.5651 for more information.
LATEST HAPPENINGS
Want to learn more about what is happening at John Jay Homestead Site? Visit our blog.
Heather Iannucci, Site Manager, will be updating all followers of the
blog on what is happening at John Jay Homestead. Check back regularly
to see what improvements or events are going on at the site.
Friends - P.O. Box 148, Katonah, NY 10536 - phone: 914.232.8119 - fax: 914.232.5974 - e-mail: friends@johnjayhomestead.org -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Site - P.O. Box 832 - 400 Jay Street, Katonah, NY 10536 - phone: 914.232.5651 - fax: 914.232.8085 - www.nysparks.com
