Explore the Revolution at Schaffer Library. 

"On Motion Made, Resolved" draws its name from the Schenectady Committee of Safety minutes, which offered up and passed resolutions regarding all aspects of local governance. The decisions of this committee influenced the militia, life in the city, and shaped the future of Schenectady in myriad ways. 

The Committee of Safety Minute Book, housed here at Schaffer Library and one of three items on exhibit, documents these decisions. A lock of George Washington's hair, found tucked inside a 1793 copy of Gaine's Universal Reister, demonstrates the contemporaneous memory of the Revolutionary War and lost loved ones. Finally the Schermerhorn Account Book illuminates the day-to-day life of Schenecatady residents during the Revolutionary Era through documentation of commerce and trade. 

Each item in this exhibit is accompanied by a robust and perhaps surprising story. Learn more about Schenectady's rich Revolutionary history through the objects under the care of Schaffer Library. 

Location: 

This exhibit can be found in the Beuth Atrium, which is on the 1st floor of Schaffer Library, just behind the reference desk and before the glass doors into the Lally Reading Room. 

Exhibit Acknowledgements: 

Curated by Joe Lueck, Outreach & Reference Archivist and Robert Levitt, '26. 
Additional Research by Tracy Chen, '26.