A Hudson Valley Reckoning: Discovering the Forgotten History of Slaveholding in My Dutch American Family

Mon, Oct 21 - Thu, Nov 21  2024

New York State

Debra Bruno's new book, A Hudson Valley Reckoning, sheds light on the long-overlooked history of slavery in upstate New York. Through a deeply personal journey, Bruno uncovers her Dutch ancestors' involvement in slaveholding and forms a poignant connection with Eleanor C. Mire, a descendant of those enslaved by her family.

Growing up in New York’s Hudson Valley, Bruno knew little about her Dutch heritage. That changed when a historian revealed that her ancestors were almost certainly slaveholders. This revelation set Bruno on a path to discover the painful truths of her family’s past. She found clear evidence of human beings listed alongside livestock and furniture in her ancestors’ wills. As her research deepened, she traced more enslavers in her family tree and reached out to Black Americans tracing their own ancestry. By chance, she connected with Mire, a descendant of a woman enslaved by Bruno’s ancestors. Their friendship became a central part of Bruno’s investigation.

A Hudson Valley Reckoning explores the nearly forgotten history of Northern slavery, including the thousands of enslaved people brought to Manhattan and the Hudson Valley. With Mire contributing a moving epilogue, Bruno not only tells the story of the lives affected by slavery but also examines how the legacies of these painful histories still reverberate today.

Bruno highlights how New York State’s rich historical landscape, dotted with markers, museums, and battlegrounds, has largely neglected the stories of enslaved people. “New York State is dotted with hundreds of historical markers, battlegrounds, forts, homes, and museums that tell its long history. But what has been missing until very recently is the story of hidden lives, especially those people who had been enslaved here,” Bruno notes.

Her book, published by Cornell University Press on October 15, 2024, not only recounts her family’s participation in pivotal moments like the Revolutionary War and the Civil War but also delves into stories that were “hidden in plain sight.”

Publication Date: October 15, 2024

Pages: 304

About Debra Bruno

Debra Bruno is a journalist whose work has appeared in The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic, among many other publications. She lives in Washington, DC. For more information, visit her website debrabruno.com.

Praise for A Hudson Valley Reckoning

“A valiant, in-depth, and invaluable investigation.” – Booklist

“This is an important account of the complexities of slavery that came with the Dutch settlers of the 17th century, and remained in place until a great Civil War ended it.” – Thomas E. Ricks, New York Times bestselling author

“Debra Bruno has unearthed a story of slavers and enslaved, a New York story, an American story.” – Russell Shorto, author of The Island at the Center of the World

Upcoming Events

Bruno will be sharing her discoveries and signing books at several events across the Hudson Valley and beyond, including:

Oct 22, 2024: Oblong Books, Rhinebeck (6:00 PM)

Oct 25, 2024: Staatsburgh State Historic Site (6:30 PM)

Oct 26, 2024: Old Dutch Church, Kingston (2:00 PM)

Oct 27, 2024: Books and Greetings, Northvale, N.J. (12:00 PM)

Oct 28, 2024: New Paltz Historical Society (7:00 PM)

Oct 29, 2024: Greene County Historical Society, Coxsackie (6:00 PM)

Nov 3, 2024: Fenimore Art Museum, Cooperstown (2:00 PM)

Nov 13, 2024: FDR Presidential Library and Museum, Hyde Park (6:00 PM)

Nov 16, 2024: Ten Broeck Mansion, Albany (2:00 PM)

Nov 21, 2024: Breakfast Club, Englewood hospital, Englewood (9:30 AM)

For more details and additional events, visit Debra Bruno’s website.