Kicking off its Semiquincentennial celebrations to mark the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the East Hampton Historical Society has launched a new monthly podcast entitled “Spirit of 76: East Hampton in the American Revolution.” These three-minute segments describe the progression of the American Revolution in East Hampton each month during 1776. In addition to exploring the local implications of the Declaration of Independence and the Battle of Long Island, the podcast explains how East Hampton residents prepared for the Revolutionary War and survived the British occupation of Long Island. As podcast listeners will learn, East Hampton residents were far from passive witnesses to the War of Independence, they played an active role in helping found the American republic.
“The Spirit of 76” podcast was researched, written, and narrated by East Hampton High School student Colin Kelley, who relied on an array of historical documents provided by the East Hampton Historical Society. “Local history helps us understand how large events were experienced by real people in our own communities,” said Kelley. “Using a variety of primary and secondary sources, I wrote these segments, organizing them chronologically to show how East Hampton experienced the Revolutionary War as it unfolded.”
The project was conceived by East Hampton Town and Village Historian Hugh King, who wanted to explore how the momentous events of 1776 shaped East Hampton’s past and present. As King noted, “In addition to chronicling East Hampton’s history relative to the Revolutionary War, the podcast reminds us that the words of the Declaration of Independence are critically relevant to our lives today.”
“During the American Bicentennial in 1976, there was a parade on East Hampton’s Main Street and a quilt exhibit at Mulford Farm. For the Semiquincentennial this year, we wanted to promote a variety of activities to educate the community about what was happening locally during the American Revolution,” explained Steve Long, Executive Director of the East Hampton Historical Society. “Another one of our signature projects for America’s 250th will be the restoration of Mulford Farm to portray the farmhouse during the 1770s when it was the home of Colonel David Mulford, one of East Hampton’s leading patriots.”
Listeners can tune into “The Spirit of 76” podcast via Spotify, as well as find it on the Historical Society’s website – EastHamptonHistory.org – and via our mobile app on BloombergConnects.org.