Kingston, New York

Kingston is a city located in Ulster County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 23,456.

History

The City of Kingston was first called Esopus after a local Indian tribe, and later renamed Wiltwyck (Dutch: wild woods). It was one of the three large settlements in New Netherland. After the Dutch colony was taken over by the British in 1664, the settlement was renamed Kingston.

Related Topics:
New Netherland - 1664

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In 1777 Kingston became the first capital of New York. Shortly after the Battle of Saratoga, the city was burned by British troops moving north from New York City. All but one or two buildings in the city were burned, along with massive stores of wheat (at the time, the area was a major granary for the colonies). There is some debate over exactly how much of a fight was put up against the British; one third of the local militia regiment was still to the north at Saratoga, and one third was to the south manning several forts (which were captured days before by the British). This would have left approximately 150 militiamen to defend the city against approximately 2,000 British regulars. After the burning of the city, the capital was reestablished at Albany.

Related Topics:
1777 - New York - Battle of Saratoga - New York City - Albany

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