Hudson Valley Palatine Loyalists in the Revolutionary War - German Genealogy Group

Presenter Garry Finkell explores the often-overlooked story of Loyalists in the American Revolutionary War, focusing on the Palatine Germans who settled in New York’s Hudson River Valley in the early 1700s. He examines why many of these families—including his own Finckel ancestors—remained loyal to the Crown, drawing on Lutheran beliefs and their lived experience. Finkell follows their journey into exile after the war, tracing how Hudson Valley Loyalists helped shape English-speaking Canada, and shares personal discoveries from a research trip with relatives to visit historic sites and meet extended family in Ontario.

The focus of the German Genealogy Group is researching migrants who immigrated from German-speaking areas of Europe to various parts of the US from the 1700s to the 1900s. Knowledge of the German language is not required - the goal is to help guide your research and provide resources for translating the records. The group is a special interest group of the Dallas Genealogical Society and is freely open to all.

Can't make it to the in-person meeting? Join the program online through the DGS website.