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Staten Island: Making History

Opening This Summer!

    INTRODUCTION

    Staten Island is ecologically, geographically, and culturally unique. Once at the edge of a giant glacier and now an island nestled between New Jersey and Brooklyn, geography has long defined its identity. Proximity to the shoreline and inland waterways helped determine neighborhoods, industries, and ways of living. Moreover, people make places, and Staten Island has always been shaped by those who call it home. From generational families to immigrant New Yorkers, Staten Islanders have made their mark on over sixty distinct neighborhoods from Tottenville to St. George.

    Making History draws together people, places, and ideas that define and expand the understanding of this special and complicated borough.

     

    SCHOLARS

    Kenneth M. Gold, PhD

    Associate Professor and Dean of School of Education, College of Staten Island, CUNY

     

    Debbie-Ann Paige

    Public Historian, Professional Genealogist, and Doctoral student, College of Staten Island, CUNY

     

    Phillip Papas, PhD

    Senior Professor of History at Union College of Union County, New Jersey (UCNJ)

     

    CREDITS

    Staten Island Making History is supported, in part, by New York City Council Speaker Initiative Funds. Thank you to current City Council Speaker Julie Menin and former Speaker Adrienne E. Adams. Special thanks to Majority Whip Kamillah M. Hanks.

     

     

    Additional support provided by Hyde and Watson Foundation.

    The Staten Island Museum’s exhibitions and programming are made possible, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council, and by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.

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    AMERICA 250

    United States Semiquincentennial

    2026 marks the 250th Anniversary of the United States. The Staten Island Museum is proud to present this exhibition to commemorate this significant national milestone. There are many ways in which Staten Island has consequentially impacted American history.

    Look for this symbol in the exhibition to find out about these key moments.

    The Staten Island Museum thanks The Achelis and Bodman Foundation and Staten Island Borough President Vito Fossella for supporting the museum’s America 250 efforts.