Bowne House - Jane Visits Every Museum in New York City

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:00]This is the John Bowne House in Flushing, on Jane visits every museum in New York City. Built in 1661, the museum tells the story of the Bowne family and their role in the fight for religious freedom and abolition in the country.

[00:00:10]Right after moving in, English settler John Bowne was arrested for hosting a Quaker meeting in this house.

[00:00:15]>> [music] >> He traveled back to Europe to appeal his arrest and won, establishing a precedent for religious tolerance, which eventually served as a basis for the US Constitution's First Amendment. As Quakers, [music] his descendants continued on a path of anti-slavery activism, participating in the founding of the Manumission Society of New York, and acting as conductors for the Underground Railroad, with evidence showing that this house was a stop. For three centuries, several generations lived here until 1945, when they gave the house to the Bowne Historical Society, and it became a museum two years later. Since then, the museum has cataloged about 5,000 objects in its collection, with most being original to the property. Some major fights for freedoms took place in this house, and I was really blown away by how much this family did. And it's amazing that we're able to visit and learn about this piece of American history.