City and suburban dwellers, whose land is measured in fractions of acres, sometimes find it difficult to imagine that, in rural areas, farms are usually hundreds of acres in size. During the medieval period, manors in western Europe could run into the thousands of acres. It was such a system that was transplanted into New York State when the Dutch settled in the early 1600s. Remnants of feudalism seeped into our early history as patroons -- lords of the manors -- were given huge estates, if certain conditions were met. And so it was with the most important of the patroonships that developed in New York, the Rensselaerwyck manor, consisting of 450,000 acres.

Land history in New York State differed in pattern from most other sections of the colonies because of the Dutch influence. As the patroonship system evolved over the decades, parts of the manor were sold to small farmers. These manors, along with millions of acres confiscated by New York after the American Revolution, were sold to speculators.

A system of leasing which had existed since he middle of the 17th century allowed a freeholder to buy land from the lord of the manor with little or no down payment. For several years, no rent was expected, but after that period the leaseholder was expected to pay the lord part of his produce as rent. In addition, certain feudal customs prevailed, such as being required to work for the owner and clear his acreage. The owner's permission was even required if the tenant wished to entertain guests. Upon the sale of such land, the lord received a percentage -- usually 25 or 30 per cent -- of the proceeds.

Conditions were difficult for many farmers who, particularly on the Rensselaer manor, fell into debt. After the death of Stephen Van Rensselaer in 1839,a significant change occurred. The sons, unlike their benevolent and charitable father, demanded of the freeholders all back rent and other obligations not adhered to previously. When attempts were made to collect the back rents, riots began.

Armed conflicts raged throughout Albany County, spreading to the Mohawk and Delaware valleys. Farmers ignored writs of ejection issued as a result of their refusal to pay the rent. Local authorities attempted to enforce the writs, but were resisted and harassed by farmers, who sometimes disguised themselves as Indians. Governor Seward, although sympathetic to the farmers' plight, was compelled to back up the law enforcement agencies. In Delaware County conditions reached the stage of anarchy, requiring the governor to declare a state of insurrection.

Physical force was not the only form of resistance that occurred. Associations and societies were formed by the tenant farmers, and conventions were held in Berne, New York, the unofficial capital of the anti-rent movement. As the protest gained momentum , it attracted national land reformers whose philosophy extended beyond local problems. Dealing with these problems in more universal terms, they espoused the concept that all have a right to the earth and all land monopoly should be abolished.

As the battlefield shifted from the back hills of central New York State to the courts and legislative bodies, the anti-rent agitation influenced both major political parties in calling for a state constitutional convention in 1846. Wearied by years of bickering, the convention acted to correct some of the abuses. It abolished such practices as feudal tenures, the twelve-year limit on leases, and the quarter sales percentage payments upon sale of property. Many farmers were not satisfied with these reforms, because they applied to only the future and not the past. Limited as the laws were in reforming New York's land system, they nevertheless helped to dramatize domination by the aristocratic clique and brought into the open the iniquitous land monopoly in the Empire State.

Background Questions:

1. What was the patroon system?
2. How was the patroon system similar to feudalism in western Europe?
3. What triggered the rent riots in New York State in 1839?
4. What types of resistance occurred during this period?
5. What was the basic philosophy of the National Land Reformers?
6. How did the major political parties deal with these problems?