Pittsburgh in the 1790s History Hike

Danger, desperation, insurrection, brutal warfare and the aspirations of a growing young nation all converged in the Pittsburgh region during the last decade of the 18th century. The 1790’s began with a military defeat so bad that it was later removed from the history books and hosted a rebellion so serious that it took an army as large as any that took to the field in the Revolutionary War to suppress. Conditions were harsh for people on America’s first frontier, but enormous opportunities existed for new industries to take hold as the nascent, independent country burgeoned to the West, all the while testing the veracity of the new constitutional system under its first president, George Washington. Join local historian, John McNulty, on a moderate hike through some of Pittsburgh’s nicest terrain in Emerald View Park as we learn about this tumultuous period of history and the pivotal role that Pittsburgh played in it.

This hike will start and end at Olympia Park. The group will cover about four miles including city sidewalks and trails with some hills. Trails include some steep hillsides. The group will take a break for lunch about midway though the hike, so bring a lunch if you would like.