Saratoga National Historical Park Special Events in July

Stillwater — Saratoga National Historical continues its special events season in July with the following offerings:

Victory Woods Walk – Tuesday, July 2, 9:00 am to 10:30, Saratoga Monument Parking Lot. Biological Technician Linda White leads a walk from the Saratoga Monument through Victory Woods exploring the trees and timelines of the area.

Citizenship Ceremony – Thursday, July 4, 10:00 am, Visitor Center Lawn. Saratoga National Historical Park welcomes 21 new American citizens! Public Reading of the Declaration of Independence.

Thursday, July 4 – 2:00 pm, Visitor Center Patio. Most Americans, including those in the Continental Army, would have first heard the stirring words of the Declaration of Independence in a public reading. Park Volunteer Joe Craig recreates such a scene.

Picture Saratoga – Friday July 5 (Rain Date July 12), 8:00 am to 10:00 am, Meet at Visitor Center Lawn. Join Park Volunteer and Photographer, David Truland, along with Park Visual Information Specialist, Kristin Vinduska to explore Saratoga National Historical Park through your camera lens. The program will take visitors on a 3-mile hike from the Visitor Center on the Wilkinson Trail out to Stop 6 and 7. People of all skill sets are welcome to join and bring anything from their favorite camera set-up to the camera on their phone. Visitors will be invited to share how they capture the beauty of the park through their own creative vision. To reserve your spot and be notified in case of the need to reschedule due to weather, contact sara_reservations@nps.gov.

History Caravan – Sunday, July 7,  and Saturday, July 13, 9:30 am, Meet in the Visitor Center. Looking for a more in-depth, hands-on experience during your visit? Join a Park Volunteer for a caravan-style tour of the Battlefield! Tours will last 2.5-3 hours. Meet in the Visitor Center and follow along in your own vehicle for as long as you like. May be cancelled in the event of inclement weather.

Uniforming the Continental Army – Sunday, July 14, 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, Visitor Center Lawn. The American Northern Army encamped at Saratoga Battlefield in 1777 included thousands of Continental soldiers from New England, New York, Pennsylvania, and Virginia. These soldiers wore a variety of colorful uniforms made of wool or linen, all of which needed to be hand tailored. Their leather shoes were made by hand using a careful, painstaking process. Come to the park to see an 18th-century tailor and cordwainer (not a cobbler!) make these uniform parts using authentic period techniques.

Frederick Douglass Returns to Schuylerville – Saturday, July 27, 10:00 am to 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm to 2:30 pm, Schuyler House. Join us as we commemorate and examine 250 years of the United States and meet the great abolitionist and freedom fighter Fredrick Douglass as he returns to Schuylerville. Despite promising in the Declaration of Independence that “all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness,” the new nation that emerged after the Battles of Saratoga and the American Revolution did not begin to approach those lofty ideals. Among other failings, the nation’s continued reliance on slavery, present from the beginning here in New York, and the exclusion of women from voting were just two of the most glaring. Frederick Douglass, himself having experienced enslavement, emerged as one of the most forceful advocates for addressing both in the 19th century.

Frederick Douglass Speaks on Democracy – Saturday, July 27, 3:00 pm to 4:00 pm, Town of Saratoga Town Hall (12 Spring St., Schuylerville. Frederick Douglass Speaks on Democracy Inspired by the ideals of the American Revolution and the sacrifices of his forefathers, the Black men of the Continental Army and militias who served throughout the war and here at Saratoga, Frederick Douglass argued for the creation of the United States Colored Troops during the Civil War. After the war, he continued advocating for an expanded idea of democracy. One place he did that was in Schuylerville, on June 8, 1849. Nathan Richardson is an author, poet, and historian who has performed as Frederick Douglass around the United States for more than a decade.

Saratoga National Historical Park encompasses five sites including the Saratoga Battlefield, General Philip Schuyler’s House, Victory Woods, the Saratoga Monument and Sword Surrender Site totaling 3,579 acres. For more information about Saratoga National Historical Park, please call the Visitor Center at (518) 670-2985, visit www.nps.gov/sara or find the park on Facebook or Twitter @SaratogaNHP.