Experiencing the Neutral Ground of the American Revolution: The McDonald Interviews

During the American Revolution, Westchester County, New York (which at the time also included all of present-day Bronx County, New York), and parts of Fairfield County, Connecticut was considered “Neutral Ground” due to its location between the British lines and the American lines. Although the area was not securely held by either side during the war, it was certainly not “neutral,” and was the scene of numerous raids, skirmishes, and depredations between 1776 and 1783.

From 1844 to 1851 lawyer-turned-historian John M. Macdonald (1790-1863), whose surname was usually recorded as “McDonald” by later historians, traveled through the former Neutral Ground to conduct interviews with residents who had either lived during the American Revolution or were born shortly after. He listened to the memories and stories of people still living in the area and recorded what they remembered themselves, or what family, friends, and neighbors had shared with them about living through the violence, unrest, and uncertainty of the Revolutionary War period.

In addition to compiling the documents, Macdonald used the accounts as his own historical source material for his later-published historical essays. Experiencing the Neutral Ground of the American Revolution: The McDonald Interviews contains the first-hand accounts, the historical essays, and other relevant documentation centered around the creator, John Macdonald.