The Seat of Action: Long Island in the American Revolution and Beyond

February 19–October 18, 2026

In commemoration of America’s 250th anniversary, The Seat of Action spotlights the experiences of the Long Island region during the Revolutionary War, an area that was under martial law and British control longer than any other part of the American colonies. In the years between the Battle of Long Island (August 1776)  and the liberation of New York (November 1783), military occupation led to the loss and destruction of property, the separation of families, and an unprecedented level of suffering across this area. Though our collective regional memory often emphasizes the glory and valor of important episodes such as the Culper Spy Ring—a military intelligence-gathering group originated by Major Benjamin Tallmadge (1754–1835) of Setauket—the general experience for Long Islanders over those seven years was one that witnessed large-scale exodus of population and the devastation of churches, orchards, livestock, and woodlands as British forces used the area as a source of fuel and nourishment for their larger war effort. The post-Revolutionary War era was one of profound reconstruction across Long Island. At the same time, the tragic impacts of the war also brought about powerful and transformative legacies, leading to more democratic politics across this region and to the eventual end of slavery, both on Long Island and in New York State.