New York in the Great War for Empire, 1756-1763

In the Spring of 2025, the New York State Archives Partnership Trust received grants from the Society of Colonial Wars in the State of New York and the Acorn Foundation to preserve and digitize selected records in the New York State Archives that tell stories of events and people in the final war between Britain and France in North America. 

The colony of New York was at the center of the Great War for Empire, known in America as the French and Indian War, in Europe as the Seven Years' War. British and French forces contended for control of the Champlain and upper Hudson Valleys until French Canada capitulated to a British fleet and army in 1759-60. Through these selected documents one can better understand New York's pivotal role in the French and Indian War - a global conflict in which New Yorkers were at the forefront and the years leading up to the American Revolution. 

The three series that are represented within this exhibit include New York Secretary of State Applications for Land Grants (Series A0272), New York State Secretary of State Military Patents (Series A0447), and New York Colony Council Papers (Series A1894). These selected collections offer crucial insight into living and working New Yorkers during a tumultuous period and illuminate the development of New York from a Colony into Statehood.

Explore selected documents from the collections