Town of Andes, NY Website
Town of Andes, NY Website
The Hamlet of Andes was founded in 1819. Nestled in the wooded hills and fertile valleys of the western slopes of the Catskill Mountains, Andes was a thriving, self-sufficient village, with saw and grist mills, artisans and professionals of every type. Andes also had hotels serving travelers on a major stagecoach route.
The most notable event in Andes’ history is its role in the 1845 Anti-Rent War, a seminal event in the tenant farmer rebellion in upstate New York. The Rent War led to the termination of an archaic form of land tenure akin to feudal serfdom. Tired of exploitation, tenant farmers dressed in disguises and confronted landowners. One of the landowners was fatally shot and hundreds of tenant farmers were sentenced to death by hanging. Ultimately the Anti-Rent cause was victorious and the tenant farmers’ sentences were commuted. The Anti-Renters gained political support and power, achieved several victories at the State Constitutional Convention in 1847. In Delaware County, the Anti-Rent party became the dominant political party. The bravery of the tenant farmers in Andes ultimately broke the power of the landowners.
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