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New York. Schenectady's Stockade district. Albany. The Hudson Valley. The Mohawk Valley, scene of the bloodiest battles of the Revolutionary War. Fort Ticonderoga and Crown Point.
New York was a frontier during colonial days and that is why some of the worst fighting took place there, including Saratoga, turning point of the war. There was also a very large military campaign through the Finger Lakes that sought to destroy the Iroquois during the Revolution, with much destruction and bloodshed. Three wars were fought in New York within a fifty year period (the French and Indian War, American Revolution, and War of 1812). There is an excellent museum, which for all intents and purposes is a New York State colonial era war museum, at Fort Ticonderoga.
What are some places that would be at the top of your list if you wanted to visit places rich in Colonial American History?
So many, including places like Providence, Charleston, New Orleans, Saint Augustine etc. Here are my top 5 picks as STATES.
Virginia is easily #1
Especially the triangle around Jamestown, Williamsburgh and Yorktown. Williamsburgh has about 80 (?) orginial colonial buildings plus alot of recreations. When visiting make sure you go on a day they are doing one of their skits or plays. Many homes of the founding fathers have been preserved around the state. See also the James River Plantations.
Massachusetts
Landing place of the Pilgrims, the state has alot of colonial history especially in eastern Massachusetts. Areas like Deerfield and Stockbridge in western Mass also have interesting histories. Boston has a major history trail and big part of the Revolution. See also Plymouth, Salem, New Bedford, Lexington & Concord etc.
New York
The New Netherlands. Oldest surviving Dutch and English buildings date to the 1640s in Brooklyn and the Hamptons. Especially historic is the Hudson Valley, Kingston has 40 colonial buildings in the Stockade alone. Colonial era forts including Ticonderoga, Stanwix, Oswego, Ontario, William Henry, West Point and Crown Point. Also see Saratoga, Richmondtown, New Paltz, Federal Hall, Fraunces Tavern and the Hudson River plantoons.
Pennsylvania.
Especially SE Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, home to Independence Hall and Dr. Benjamin Franklin. Also Valley Forge, Fort Pitt and the Wyoming Valley (see Yankee-Pennamite War between PA and Conn.).
New Jersey
Much like New York with the unique Dutch history and also a major battleground state in the Revolution --- see Trenton, Princeton and Monmouth battles etc. Morristown encampment. Many colonial buildings scattered around the state.
Start in New England and work your way south along the coast. It's all rich in colonial history; you can't go wrong. Personal favorites include Plimouth Plantation, Historic Deerfield, New Paltz, NYC, Philadelphia, Williamsburg, Charleston, and any number of historic houses and towns along the way. Throw in a visit to somewhere like Barbados if you have the time and money; the West Indies were extremely significant to Colonial American history, and there are still some historic sites left from that period.
I believe York, Maine is the oldest incorporated city in the thirteen colonies. Also Newport, Rhode Island appears to have several colonial-era buildings including the oldest synagogue in the US.
Boston, Charleston, Philadelphia, Plymouth, Providence, Saratoga, Savannah, etc sound like good choices already named.
Some sleepers might be Pittsburgh(founded in 1758), Fort Christiana in Delaware(first Swedish settlement in North America and first permanent Europen settlement in the Delaware Valley), Baltimore and some Old Spanish settlements in present day New Mexico(i.e.-Santa Fe) and California(i.e.-San Diego de Alcala mission in San Diego).
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