A Place in History

In 1998, after completing a book on the French Revolution, Warren Roberts took a bicycle ride into the heart of the city in which he had lived for thirty-five years. Thus began a ten-year journey into the history of Albany, New York. Reading about the city's past, poring over old maps, and returning again and again to the city's historic sites with his camera, Roberts found that the more he delved into Albany's history, the more he uncovered about the city's important role in three larger historical narratives: the American Revolution, the French Revolution, and the construction of the Erie Canal. A Place in History is not only about Albany's role in these historical narratives, but is also about the men and women who were caught up in it, their public lives as well as their private intrigues, dalliances, and foibles. As Roberts shows, the history that unfolded along the Hudson River between 1775 and 1825 saved one revolution, caused another, transformed the city of Albany and the state of New York, and ultimately helped lay the foundations of a global economy.

Preface Acknowledgments Introduction 1. The Battle of Saratoga: Epic, Tragedy, or Comedy of Manners? 2. Philip Schuyler's Hudson River Visitors, 1776-83 3. Mme de La Tour du Pin's Two-Year Stay in Albany, 1794-96 4. Albany and the Erie Canal Conclusion Albany, Past and Present: Observations and Images (with some musings thrown in) Appendix A Thomas Jefferson and Angelica Schuyler Church in Paris Appendix B The Responses of Two Americans to the French Revolution: Gouverneur Morris and Thomas Jefferson Appendix C Talleyrand and the XYZ Affair Appendix D David's Depiction of Talleyrand in The Coronation of Napoleon and Joséphine Notes Index