Antirenters

Antirenters, group of tenant farmers in New York State who protested against paying rent to landlords (1839–1847). The tenant families had lived on the disputed land for generations and considered it theirs. When, in 1839, the heirs of the Dutch merchant Van Rensselaer tried to collect $400,000 in back rents. The Antirenters rose up in protest, rioting and terrorizing the landlords. In 1846, a new state constitution guaranteed ownership to the tenants.