While doing some genealogy for my mother I discovered that my Great-Great-Great-Great Grandfather was Albert (Elbert) Adriance who signed the Beekman’s Precinct Revolutionary Pledge in 7/25/1775.

After the battle of Concord in April of 1775, the Dutch settlers of the Hudson Valley, who never liked the British, were quite angry and decided to resist. They wrote up a declaration of their refusal to submit to British rule called The Revolutionary Pledge, and it was signed on July the 15th, 1775. This almost a year before the boys down in Philadelphia got around to writing up their declaration of Independance.

Here is the pledge, full of spit and vinagar as befits these hardy settlers.

Persuaded that the salvation of the rights and liberties of America depend, under God, on the firm union of its inhabitants in a rigorous prosecution of the measures necessary for its safety ; and convinced of the necessity of preventing anarchy and confusion, which attend the dissolution of the powers of government, we, the freemen, freeholders, inhabitants of _____, being greatly alarmed at the avowed design of the Ministry to raise a revenue in America, and shocked by the bloody scene now acting in Massachusetts Bay, do, in the most solemn manner, resolve never to become slaves and do associate, under all the ties of religion, honor, and love to our country, to adopt and endeavor to carry into execution whatever measures may be recommended by the Continental Congress, or resolved upon by our Provincial Convention for the purpose of preserving our Constitution, and opposing the execution of the several arbitrary Acts of the British Parliament, until a reconciliation between Great Britain and America on constitutional principles (which we most ardently desire) can be obtained ; and that we will in all things follow the advice of our General Committee respecting the purposes aforesaid, the preservation of peace and good order, and the safety of individuals and property.