Fort Stanwix National Monument [NY] Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/08/2008 - 13:37
Description

The Fort Stanwix National Monument presents the fort's Revolutionary War history and its impact on the history of New York settlement. Collections consist of more than 476,000 artifacts. Three trails circle the fort. One follows the Oneida Carrying Place, while the other two interpret the siege of 1777. During the seige, Colonel Peter Gansevoort maintained control of Stanwix despite the concentrated British, Loyalist, German, Canadian, and Native American troops which surrounded the structure, earning it the nickname of "the fort that never surrendered." This victory is one of several which eventually led to political alliances with The Netherlands and France. The fort is located on traditional Oneida lands. The Oneida Carrying Place is an over land route between Wood Creek and the Mohawk River.

The monument offers an orientation talk, three trails, exhibits, guided curriculum-based educational programs, self-guided fort tours, audio-visual displays, weapons demonstrations, guided tours, living history programs, an activity for three through six year olds, Junior Ranger activities, and an area for building model forts. Reservations are required for all guided programs. The website offers lesson plans, a 1777 campaign Revolutionary War map, a word match, a crossword puzzle, a word search, and suggested reading lists for students and teachers.

Oneida Community Mansion House

Description

Built brick-by-brick in stages beginning in 1861 by the utopian Oneida Community (1848—1880), the 93,000-square-foot Mansion House testifies to the Community's core belief in the possibility of personal and social perfection. In plan and decoration it reflects popular architectural styles of the mid-19th century, but its large scale epitomizes the needs of a society that lived as one family with more than 300 members. Continually inhabited since 1862, the Mansion House features a museum, overnight lodging, residential apartments, the Zabroso Restaurant in the Community dining room, and banquet and meeting facilities. Century-old trees define the grounds where meandering paths lead to gardens that change with the seasons.

The house offers exhibits, tours, workshops, and educational and recreational programs.

Oneida Indian Nation: Culture and History

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Annotation

The Oneida Indian Nation, called the "first ally and steadfast friend" of the fledgling American republic, presents documents and historical studies focusing on the Revolutionary War period and on recent efforts to pursue land claims dating from the earlier period. Includes texts of six treaties or agreements involving the Oneida and the U.S. between 1777 and 1794; statements by the U.S. Congress, Presidents, and New York State regarding the Oneida; and President Bill Clinton's 1994 memo on "Government-to-Government Relations with Native American Tribal Governments." In addition, the site offers six essays by Nation historians and others, ranging from 1,300 to 7,400 words in length, on topics such as the roles the Oneida played in the birth of the U.S. and the War of 1812, and the land claim crusade.

Includes excerpts from an oral history project in which 13 tribal elders discuss food, herbal cures, crafts, annuity cloth, language, and land claims; a timeline; 35 press releases; a cookbook; and essays on lacrosse, legends, and the tribal creation story. The site promises in the future to include significant treaties from other Indian nations. Valuable for those studying American Indian history and culture, the Revolutionary War period, and recent legal efforts by Indian nations to pursue land claims.