Bruce Dearstyne, "Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change" (SUNY Press, 2026)

Bruce Dearstyne, "Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change" (SUNY Press, 2026)

From New Books in Indigenous Studies by Marshall Poe

June 8, 2026 · 31 min

About this episode

The episode discusses Bruce Dearstyne's edited volume on the social changes in New York over 250 years, focusing on the struggles of marginalized groups to achieve revolutionary ideals.

Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change (SUNY Press, 2026), edited by Bruce Dearstyne and published by SUNY Press, examines what the volume calls the “unfinished revolutions” of the Empire State. In sixteen essays by a varied cast of authors, the book explores efforts to achieve what the editor describes as the full promise of the revolution. Central to the book are ordinary New Yorkers who faced great challenges, such as the Oneida who tried to maintain sovereignty in the era of the American Revolution, women winning the vote, and African American soldiers who served in the United States Army in World War I. Together, Dearstyne writes, they tell a story of “the two-and-a-half century struggle to realize the Revolution’s ideals and bring increased freedom and opportunities to marginalized populations.” Dearstyne is the editor of this volume and the author of several books, including The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State’s History and The Crucible of Public Policy: New York Courts in the Progressive Era. Robert Snyder, interviewing for the New Books Network and the Gotham Center for New York Cit History, is professor emeritus of Journalism and…

People in this episode

Host: Robert Snyder

Guest: Bruce Dearstyne

Topics covered

  • social change
  • New York history
  • marginalized populations
  • American Revolution
  • women's suffrage
  • African American soldiers

Keywords

  • New York
  • social change
  • history
  • marginalized groups
  • American Revolution
  • women's rights
  • African American history

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: SUNY Press, New Books Network, Gotham Center for New York City History, Rutgers University

Books & works: Revolutionary New York: 250 Years of Social Change, The Spirit of New York: Defining Events in the Empire State’s History, The Crucible of Public Policy: New York Courts in the Progressive Era, When the City Stopped: Stories from New York’s Essential Workers

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