Although the feudal system was never successfully established in America, efforts were made by some great landholders to acquire quasi-feudal privileges and powers. In New York particularly such a class emerged in the seventeenth century. By defrauding Indians and by using their influence in the colonial government to buy land at low prices, some families amassed huge landed estates: Philipsborough comprised 156,000 acres, the Highland Patent 205,000 and Rensselaerwyck, 1,000,000. The owners of these manors paid trifling quit rents to the crown, and in return were granted varying baronial rights and privileges, including criminal jurisdiction, the right to appoint magistrates and clergymen, and in some cases the right to name their own representatives to the Assembly of the colony. They seldom sold their land, preferring to rent it for short terms. Their tenants often paid rent in kind, occasionally in service. It was believed that this system, as Governor William Tryon remarked, was “a method which will ever create subordination.”
New World tenants, however, chaffed against such a system, and some denied the justice of the great landholders’ claim to rents. Tenants resisted in many ways. Some bought new titles from Indians, especially when the natives had been defrauded in the first sale, and then tried to contest their landlord’s title in the courts. Invariably, however, they lost. Some invoked the uncertainty of colonial boundaries: when two colonies claimed the same area, tenants would side with the government that offered them the better terms. Many border disputes in fact masked struggles between landlords and tenants. But since the great holders usually controlled the judiciary, these legal tactics commonly proved fruitless. Increasingly, after 1750, the farmers used violence to assert their claims.
Tenant outbreaks in New York came to a climax in the agrarian rebellion of 1766. On June 26, 1766, the sheriff of Albany County, attempting to dispossess settlers on John Van Rensselaer’s land, met an armed band of sixty men. They fought, and seven of the militia were wounded and one killed; three farmers were killed and many wounded. On another occasion a band of two hundred “marched to murther the Lord of the Manor and level his house, unless he would sign leases for ’em agreeable to their form, as these were now expired and that they would neither pay rent, taxes, etc., nor suffer other tenants.” This band was dispersed by an armed posse led by Walter Livingston. In Poughkeepsie, 1,700 armed tenants closed courts and broke open jails. Another group marched to New York City, threatening to burn city homes of rural magnates, but were dispersed by the militia. The farmers were particularly disappointed that the Sons of Liberty refused to support them.
When the landowners appealed for help, the government declared the leaders of the insurrection guilty of high treason and sent soldiers to capture them. Afterwards, sporadic fighting continued, but superior force finally prevailed. The tenants were pillaged by the soldiers, the movement was broken, many tenants were evicted, and many fled to Vermont. The two differing accounts of the June 26 fight which follow are taken from the Boston Gazetteer or Country Journal, July 14, 1766, and the New York Gazette, July 7, 1766. See Irving Mark: Agrarian Conflicts in Colonial New York, 1711–1775 (1940); and Staughton Lynd: “Tenant Rising at Livingston Manor,” New-York Historical Society Quarterly, XLVII (1964), 163–77.
Wednesday an express came to town … by whom we had the following particulars. That the inhabitants of a place called Nobletown and a place called Spencer-Town lying west of Sheffield, Great Barrington, and Stockbridge, who had purchased of the Stockbridge Indians the lands they now possess; by virtue of an order of the General Court of this province, and settled about two hundred families; John Van Renselear Esq., pretending a right to said lands, had treated the inhabitants very cruelly, because they would not submit to him as tenants, he claiming a right to said lands by virture of a patent from the Government of New York; that said Van Renselear some years ago raised a number of men and came upon the poor people, and pulled down some houses killed some people, imprisoned others, and has been contantly vexing and injuring the people. That on the 26th of last month said Renselear came down with between two and three hundred men, all armed with guns, pistols and swords; that upon intelligence that 500 men armed were coming against them, about forty or fifty of the inhabitants went out unarmed, except with sticks, and proceeded to a fence between them and the assailants, in order to compromise the matter between them. That the assailants came up to the fence, and Hermanus Schuyler the Sheriff of the County of Albany, fired his pistol down … upon them and three others fired their guns over them. The inhabitants thereupon desired to talk with them, and they would not harken; but the Sheriff, it was said by some who knew him, ordered the men to fire, who thereupon fired, and killed one of their own men, who had got over the fence and one of the inhabitants likewise within the fence. Upon this the chief of the inhabitants, unarmed as aforesaid, retreated most of them into the woods, but twelve betook themselves to the house from whence they set out and there defended themselves with six small arms and some ammunition that were therein. The two parties here fired upon each other. The assailants killed one man in the house, and the inhabitants wounded several of them, whom the rest carried off and retreated, to the number of seven, none of whom at the last accounts were dead. That the Sheriff shewed no paper, nor attempted to execute any warrant, and the inhabitants never offered any provocation at the fence, excepting their continuing there, nor had any one of them a gun, pistol or sword, till they retreated to the house. At the action at the fence one of the inhabitants had a leg broke, whereupon the assailants attempted to seize him and carry him off. He therefore begged they would consider the misery he was in, declaring he had rather die than be carried off, whereupon one of the assailants said “you shall die then” and discharging his pistol upon him as he lay on the ground, shot him to the body, as the wounded man told the informant; that the said wounded man was alive when he left him, but not like to continue long. The affray happened about sixteen miles distant from Hudson’s River. It is feared the Dutch will pursue these poor people for thus defending themselves, as murderers; and keep them in great consternation.
(Extract of a letter from Claverack, near Albany, dated June 27.)
“For some months past a mob has frequently assembled and ranged the eastern parts of the manor of Renselaer. Last week they appeared at Mr. Livingston’s with some proposals to him, but he being from home, they returned to Mr. Van Renselaer’s son’s, about two miles from Claverack, where not finding him at home, they used some insulting words and left a message for Mr. Renselaer that if he did not meet them next day at their rendezvous, they would come to him. On the 26th, the Sheriff of Albany, with 105 men under his command, went to disperse the rioters who were assembled it is supposed to the number of sixty, in a house on the Manor. On the Sheriff’s advancing to the house, they fired upon him, and shot off his hat and wig, but he escaped unhurt. Many shots were exchanged on both sides. Of the militia, one man, Mr. Cornelius Ten-Broeck, of Claverack, was killed, and seven wounded; of the rioters, three were killed (two of whom were of the ringleaders) and many wounded, among whom was Capt. Noble (one of the chief instigators) in the back. The rioters retreated to Capt. Noble’s house, where they formed a breastwork, and did not quit the house till the Sheriff’s party left the place. Col. Renselaer’s horse was killed under him. He afterwards went to Poughkeepsie to get assistance from the regulars to disperse the whole, but the regulars were gone to Pendergast’s house, on Philipse patent.”