Politics, Diplomacy and Trade on the New York Frontier

Join us for a full‑day conference exploring the complex political, diplomatic, and economic landscape of the New York frontier between the Treaty of Utrecht (1713) and the outbreak of King George’s War (1744). This pivotal era—during which the French Castle at Fort Niagara was established in 1726—reshaped relations among European empires and Haudenosaunee nations, setting the stage for larger contests to come.

Coffee and lunch will be provided for all attendees.

Five distinguished scholars will present original research and fresh perspectives on the French, British, and Haudenosaunee worlds that intersected at Niagara during the 18th century.

King George’s War on Lake Ontario
The Treaty of Utrecht raised new questions about sovereignty, diplomacy, and territorial rights—particularly Article 15, which declared the Iroquois Confederacy to be British subjects. This talk explores how these ambiguities shaped French and British strategy on Lake Ontario, leading to the establishment of Fort Niagara and Oswego and raising fears of conflict long before the outbreak of King George’s War.
About the Speaker: Michael Laramie is a military history writer and the author of nine books on colonial America and the Civil War, including King George’s War and the Thirty-Year Peace, 1714–1748. His work appears in Vermont History, Military History Magazine, Military History Matters, and The Fort Ticonderoga Museum Bulletin.

Reconsidering Fort Niagara in the Context of Haudenosaunee Territoriality, 1700–1765
Rather than viewing Niagara’s fortification as a moment of Haudenosaunee decline, this presentation reframes the site through the perspectives of the Seneca and other Haudenosaunee people. Dr. Parmenter argues that control of the Niagara Portage enabled Haudenosaunee communities to maintain agency, shape regional diplomacy, and leverage Fort Niagara for economic opportunity far longer than commonly understood.
About the Speaker: Jon Parmenter is Associate Professor of History at Cornell University and author of The Edge of the Woods: Iroquoia, 1534–1701. He teaches early North American and Indigenous history.

Shirts Powdered Red: Gender, Trade, and Diplomacy
Clothing and material culture played a critical role in communication, sovereignty, and diplomacy across Haudenosaunee–European relationships. Dr. Kane examines how gendered understandings of labor and dress shaped cross‑cultural exchanges, particularly the ways Haudenosaunee women used clothing production and trade to influence diplomatic outcomes.
About the Speaker: Maeve Kane is Associate Professor of History at the University at Albany and author of Shirts Powdered Red: Haudenosaunee Gender, Trade, and Exchange Across Three Centuries. Her work has been supported by the Mellon Foundation, NEH, the New-York Historical Society, and the New York State Archives.

A Thing That Could Disturb the Union of Two Great Crowns: Niagara, Oswego, and the Struggle for the Great Lakes in an Age of Empire
Dr. Weyhing explores how the establishment of Niagara and Oswego in the 1720s accelerated imperial rivalries between France and Britain. These frontier posts became flashpoints in a larger geopolitical contest that would transform the interior of North America.
About the Speaker: Richard Weyhing is Associate Professor and Department Chair of History at SUNY Oswego. He specializes in Indigenous and colonial history of the Great Lakes and the Atlantic World.

Arms and Attire on the Frontier: The Material Culture of French Soldiers in the Upper Country, 1683–1760
This presentation highlights the regulation dress, equipment, and field adaptations of French troops stationed throughout the Upper Country, including Fort Niagara. Drawing on archaeological discoveries, surviving artifacts, and new archival findings, Gélinas illustrates how soldiers modified their clothing and arms to meet the unique demands of frontier service.
About the Speaker: Kevin Gélinas, of Trois-Rivières, Québec, is the author of The French Trade Gun in North America, 1662–1759 and Frontier Soldiers of New France (vols. 1–2). He teaches and continues extensive archival research on the material culture of New France.

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