History Detectives

The origins of “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow” lie shrouded in mystery. Some say that the character of the Headless Horseman was inspired by the German folktale “The Wild Huntsman.” Washington Irving may have heard this tale while traveling abroad. Others insist that the Headless Horseman was based on an actual Hessian soldier who was…

This Sunday, author Adam Osterweil will join our Reading into History Family Book Club to discuss his novel Cooper and the Enchanted Metal Detector. There is so much to sink our teeth into in this book, from its layered characters to the tough American Revolution history that it sheds light on. We asked Osterweil our usual questions below. Take…

Halloween has a fascinating history, and the New-York Historical Society will explore some of it at our first Spirits of Hallowe’ens Past family party. The party will take place on Halloween from 5-7 pm and is free with Museum admission. The night’s activities are inspiring a series of Halloween History blog posts. This first post…

Reading into History Family Book Club was terrific this past Sunday at our book wrap for 90 Miles to Havana. Thank you to everyone who came to discuss Operation Pedro Pan and this marvelous book.  Now it’s time to start reading Cooper and the Enchanted Metal Detector by Adam Osterweil. We’ll have the author present…

How far back can you trace your family tree? The Beekman family can trace its roots in New York City all the way back to 1647, when Wilhelmus Beekman arrived in New Amsterdam on the same ship as Director-General Peter Stuyvesant! Wilhelmus Beekman was born on April 28, 1623 in Holland. As a young man…

The author and his publicist This month, our family book club is exploring the complicated historical relationship between Cuba and the United States in honor of National Hispanic Heritage Month. We are reading Enrique Flores-Galbis’ 90 Miles to Havana, a fascinating work of historical fiction that follows a boy named Julian and his two brothers in their…

For four days in late August, talented middle schoolers descended on the New-York Historical Society to learn everything they could about the American Revolution…and digital game design. You probably already know that the New-York Historical Society is a great place to learn about the American Revolution considering that we were founded in 1804 just a…

Over the past year, I’ve watched families play our digital games and interactives in the DiMenna Children’s History Museum (DCHM). At the DCHM, we believe that people can learn about history by both playing and creating games. Part of my responsibility as a Floor Manager is making sure everyone has a fun and educational experience….

It all started with very good intentions. Franklin Delano Roosevelt was sworn into office as the 32nd President of the United States in March of 1933. It was a very dark time in our country’s history – we were in the middle of the worst economic depression we had ever seen or would see. One…