Daniel Nimham and the Wappinger Indians in the Revolutionary War

The Revolutionary War not only determined the future of the American colonies, but it also shaped the future of the Native peoples who lived in and around them. Native Americans were not passive observers in the conflict. While most Native communities tried to remain neutral in the fighting between the Crown and its colonists, as the war continued, many of them had to make difficult decisions about how and when to support one side or the other. Upon the outbreak of the Revolution, Daniel Nimham came to see the value of the Patriot cause and the potential to negotiate the return of Wappinger land if he were to fight alongside the colonists. Eventually, Nimham was given a commission as a captain in the Continental Army and became a recruiting force working to bring Indian communities in Canada and the Ohio Valley to fight for the plight of the Patriots.

Local Teacher and Fishkill Town Historian Robert Buccheri will present the history of Indigenous people in the Hudson Valley and their role in America’s War of Independence. He will be dressed as a Continental soldier and will use dynamic and engaging multimedia presentation techniques to bring this history to life.

Where: indoors at the Van Wyck Homestead Museum and online with Zoom

Join Zoom Meeting:

https://us06web.zoom.us/j/86414649392?pwd=2bb0Ccan3KCGbcKGRmKjYALcQlASpC.1

Meeting ID: 864 1464 9392

Passcode: 718600

When: at 2:00 pm on Saturday, August 9, 2025

Free event. In the air-conditioning in the Military Room at the Van Wyck Homestead Museum

Also check out other Meetups in Fishkill, Nonprofit events in Fishkill.