Senate House State Historic Site

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This "Indian" disguise, inspired by similar outfits worn at the Boston Tea Party, was used by a participant in the anti-rent wars. The anti-rent wars were actually uprisings led by Stephan Van Rensselaer's tenant farmers protesting the patroonship system in the Hudson Valley. Upon Van Rensselaer's death in 1839, his heirs attempted to collect back rents totaling $400,000 from the tenant farmers. This financial burden, coupled with the disappointment of being unable to outright purchase their land under Van Rensselaer's durable lease, motivated protests between 1840 and 1846.

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This "Indian" disguise, inspired by similar outfits worn at the Boston Tea Party, was used by a participant in the anti-rent wars. The anti-rent wars were actually uprisings led by Stephan Van Rensselaer's tenant farmers protesting the patroonship system in the Hudson Valley. Upon Van Rensselaer's death in 1839, his heirs attempted to collect back rents totaling $400,000 from the tenant farmers. This financial burden, coupled with the disappointment of being unable to outright purchase their land under Van Rensselaer's durable lease, motivated protests between 1840 and 1846.