A Free Soil… A Free People: The Anti-Rent War in Delaware County, New York

By 1845, settlers had transformed the wilderness of the Catskills in upstate New York into productive farms. Their dream of owning their own land, however, became a nightmare as they tried to free themselves from the shackling leases of wealthy landlords. Considering their cause a continuation of the American Revolution, the tenants rebelled and refused to pay the rent. The more militant, like the colonists at the Boston Tea Party, called themselves “Indians.” They dressed in grotesque disguises and appeared at sales on delinquent tenants’ property to intimidate bidders. Violence erupted at one of these sales near Andes in Delaware County, and a fatal bullet almost shattered their cause. A Free Soil–A Free People tells of their struggles, their sufferings, and their final triumph.

“Dorothy Kubik’s ‘A Free Soil, A Free People’ is an invaluable resource for those interested in the Anti-Rent War. She delves deeply into the documents behind the uprising—letters, court testimony, and contemporary newspaper accounts. Her history and attention to the details is sensitive, recreating the moments of the movement’s violent end in Delaware County and the dreams and lives that had animated the protests and violence.” -Jennifer Kabat, author of “The Eighth Moon: A Memoir of Belonging and Rebellion”