Landlords and tenant farmers clashed in rural, upstate regions during New York’s Anti-Rent War between 1839 and 1845. The Anti-Renters declared their independence from the manor system run by patroons, resisted tax collectors and demanded reform.
In the aftermath of the rebellion, the antiquated manor system was abandoned in favor of land reform laws that protected tenant rights, including the passage of laws that made feudal tenures illegal and outlawed leases greater than 12 years.
The Historical Society of the New York Courts, the Supreme Court of the State of New York, Appellate Division, Third Department, and the Society Chapter at Albany Law School will present a in-person and virtual program, “New York’s Second Revolution: The Legal and Social Legacy of the Anti-Rent Wars.”
The in-person event will take place at Albany Law School, 80 New Scotland Avenue, in Albany, NY, on Tuesday, November 17, 2026, from 6:30 until 8:30 pm EST. Registration is available here.
This program features a presentation of the documentary film Calico Rebellion (2024), which revisits the legacy of the conflict in the community while a panel discussion describes the historical context for these legal changes as well as the Anti-Rent Wars’ continuing relevance to landlord-tenant issues today.
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