Tin Horns and Calico tells the story of the Anti-Rent War, a pivotal conflict in the history of New York State. In the early 19th century, tenant farmers living on the vast estates of wealthy landowners known as patroons grew increasingly frustrated with their oppressive conditions. On July 4, 1839, a mass meeting of tenant farmers in the town of Berne issued a declaration of independence, sparking a rebellion that would consume the Catskill Mountain region for years to come. The Anti-Rent War ultimately led to the downfall of the patroon system and the democratization of land ownership in New York State.