Many North Hempstead residents don't realize that our Town's story was forged in the turmoil of the American Revolution. In 1775, tensions between the Town of Hempstead — which included present-day North Hempstead — and Cow Neck (the Manhasset Peninsula) reached a breaking point. When the Provincial Congress called on New York to form militias in support of the revolutionary cause, Hempstead, firmly controlled by loyalists, refused.
The response was bold. Fifteen patriots from Roslyn, Port Washington, Flower Hill, Manhasset, and Great Neck signed a defiant resolution declaring their intent to separate from Hempstead and align themselves with the Revolution. They then formed the Cow Neck Militia, openly joining the patriot cause.
"We be no longer considered to be a part of the Township of Hempstead… We Shall consider ourselves to be an entirely separate and independent beat or district."
— Resolution of Cow Neck Patriots, September 23, 1775Did You Know
After George Washington's defeat at the Battle of Brooklyn, the very document these patriots signed was used by British forces to identify and target them as traitors to the Crown — making their act of defiance one of the most personally costly in Long Island's revolutionary history.
The signees of that resolution and their families would pay dearly for attaching their names to what is now considered North Hempstead's "Declaration of Independence." Following George Washington's defeat at the Battle of Brooklyn, Long Island became occupied territory, and that document was used to target leaders now branded traitors to the Crown. Whigs and Tories alternately persecuted one another while British forces exploited both sides.
By war's end, the divide was irreparable. The New York State Legislature granted the patriots their wish by creating the Town of North Hempstead.
Town Historian Ross Lumpkin and Supervisor DeSena plant American flags at revolutionary war graves at Montfort Cemetery in Port Washington.
A Revolutionary Timeline
The Resolution
Fifteen patriots from Cow Neck, Roslyn, and Great Neck sign a defiant resolution separating themselves from Loyalist Hempstead and forming the Cow Neck Militia in support of the Revolutionary cause.
Battle of Brooklyn
Washington's forces are defeated. Long Island falls under British occupation. The resolution document is used to identify and target the patriot signers as traitors.
Years of Occupation
British forces occupy Long Island. Whigs and Tories persecute one another. Patriot families endure seizure of property, imprisonment, and harassment. The divide between Hempstead and Cow Neck becomes irreparable.
Town of North Hempstead Created
The New York State Legislature recognizes the permanent rift. The Town of North Hempstead is officially established — the patriots' ultimate wish finally granted.
America 250
North Hempstead marks the nation's 250th birthday — honoring the revolutionary legacy that gave our Town its name, its character, and its enduring spirit of independence.
The Fifteen Signatories
Cow Neck, Great Neck & Queens County Committee
Signers of the 1775 Resolution — North Hempstead's "Declaration of Independence"
Primary Source Document
Historical Document · October 4, 1775
Read the 1775 Letter
The original resolutions from the Committee of Cow Neck, Great Neck & Queens County — North Hempstead's "Declaration of Independence." Attested by John Farmer, Clerk of the Meeting. From Rise and Progress of (Internet Archive / Library of Congress).
2026 State of the Town Address
"A Legacy of Liberty, A Future of Promise"
Supervisor Jennifer S. DeSena's full 2026 address draws a direct line from these revolutionary patriots to North Hempstead today. Read the complete text.