Episode 214: Occupied Long Island: Voices from the American Revolution

Today's episode is a recording of a panel discussion hosted on January 15, 2026 by the Long Island Library Resources Council. The panelists, all notable historians who have researched the Revolutionary War period on Long Island, give their insights into what life was like in the area from 1776-1783. This time of British occupation saw the inhabitants of Kings, Queens, and Suffolk counties suffer depredations brought on by British and Hessian troops as well as by Patriot attacks from across Long Island Sound. You'll hear about the enslaved Black woman Liss from Oyster Bay, about the activities of the Culper Spy Ring, and the experiences of others ranging from British officer John Simcoe to Elizabeth Lewis, wife of Declaration signatory Francis Lewis.

The panel itself was funded by a WETA grant awarded to LILRC in support of programming related to the PBS documentary The American Revolution by Ken Burns, Sarah Botstein, and David Schmidt.

Further Research

• The American Revolution (PBS)
• Dr. Joanne Grasso
  • The American Revolution on Long Island. (Find in a library via WorldCat)
  • George Washington's 1790 Grand Tour of Long Island. (Find in a Library via WorldCat)
• Dr. Natalie Naylor
  • Women in Long Island's Past: A History of Eminent Ladies and Everyday Lives. (Find in a library via WorldCat)
  • Long Island Studies Institute
• Claire Bellerjeau
  • Remember Liss.org
  • Espionage and Enslavement in the Revolution: the True Story of Robert Townsend and Elizabeth. (Find in a library via WorldCat)
• Long Island Library Resources Council
• Feature image from the New York Public Library
• Intro Music: https://homegrownstringband.com/
• Outro music: Capering by Blue Dot Sessions CC BY-NC 4.0