BHA Speaker Series: The Hudson Mohawk Region - The Silicon Valley of the 19th Century

Many scholars agree that the Capital District is one of several “birthplaces of the American industrial revolution.” Nineteenth Century entrepreneurs consciously used the cutting-edge technology of their day to transform the dominant rural-agrarian lifestyle into an infrastructure devoted to advancement of industrial enterprise.  Developments in transportation, including the Erie Canal and railroads, were coupled with development of investment banking resources as well as advanced educational opportunity, to lead to a modern urban-industrial way of life. Inventions and developments here produced many of the components of our modern lifestyle, such as practical clothing, effective labor organizations, labor saving devices and mass-produced food. Their clear understanding of the cultural dimension of this technological change gave direction to some highly celebrated engineering innovations.

Please note: registration is not required, but is advised due to limited seating.

Speaker Bio: Michael Barrett earned a B.S. in Criminal Science at Russell Sage College, while working as a police officer for the City of Troy, NY.  He earned a Juris Doctor degree from the Western New England University School of Law in Springfield, MA. He recently retired as Executive Director of the Hudson Mohawk Industrial Gateway and the Burden Iron Works Museum in Troy, NY. Michael is a member of many local historical societies and has lectured or led historical tours for over 145 different organizations.  Among other positions, he is presently a Board member of the Lansingburgh Historical Society and the Albany Rural Cemetery; a past President and Editor of the Brunswick Historical Society; a past Chairman and Editor of the Capital District Civil War Roundtable; a former member of the Board of Advisors at the N.Y.S. Military Heritage Museum; and a contributing author to The Encyclopedia of New Your State and Walloomsack Review.
 

About This Series: The Town of Bethlehem Historical Association (BHA) has been incorporated as a not-for-profit membership organization since 1965. Along with upkeep of collections and exhibits at the Cedar Hill Schoolhouse Museum at 1003 River Rd. Selkirk the BHA is pleased to continue it's long tradition of presenting fall and spring series of talks by distinguished local speakers on a variety of topics designed to stimulate an appreciation of our historic heritage. We're delighted to have the opportunity to partner with the Bethlehem Public Library in our complementary roles of providing information and enhancing learning and enriching the cultural life of our community.