Occupied Philadelphia (Ep10)

EPISODE 10: OCCUPIED PHILADELPHIA. What was life like in the nation’s capital under British control? From September of 1777 to June of 1778, the British Army occupied the City of Philadelphia. During this time, the Congress was in exile in York, and the Pennsylvania Assembly was in exile in Lancaster. This episode explains life and events in Philadelphia under British occupation. About a third of Philadelphians fled the approaching British, leaving behind a population of mostly loyalists and the disaffected. For the working-class, life would become difficult. But if you were a rich loyalist at the time, you could have the time of your life. By the end of the occupation, the Franco-American treaties of alliance, signed in Spring of 1778, dramatically altered the military landscape of the War. The British prepared to leave Philadelphia without firing a shot, but not before hosting perhaps the most infamous going-away party in American history – the Mischienza.

This is the third in a three-part series “The Year of Pennsylvania,” when – from July of 1777 to June of 1778 – the most crucial events in that pivotal 12 months of American Revolution (save for the Battles of Saratoga) either happened in Pennsylvania or Pennsylvanians were at the heart of them.

Timestamps for major events/discussions:

[02:01] – The patriots evacuate Philadelphia

[05:42] – Meet the Brothers Howe (General William and Admiral Richard)

[07:35] – Who were “the disaffected”?

[11:37] – Introducing the Allen family (William Sr, John, Andrew, James, and William Jr.)

[17:38] – The British arrive and occupy Philadelphia

[18:28] – What changed once the British were in charge?

[22:38] – The Pennsylvania militia

[25:38] – The Pennsylvania Assembly asserts itself

[28:21] – Henry and Elizabeth Drinker

[35:25] – How slavery fits into the story

[41:14] – Rich loyalist families livin’ large

[49:38] – Ben Franklin’s “death” and other fake news from the Occupied press

[54:39] – “The Mischienza” – the biggest going away bash in American history

[1:01:17] – The sun sets on the British Empire in Philadelphia

[1:03:06] – The return of the patriots

[1:07:59] – Books that inspired this episode

Books to read:

Some books relied upon to craft this episode were

· Occupied America: British Military Rule and the Experience of Occupation, by Donald F. Johnson (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2020)

· The Men Who Lost America: British Leadership, the American Revolution, and the Fate of the Empire, by Andrew Jackson O’Shaughnesssy (Yale University Press, 2013).

· The Disaffected: Britain’s Occupation of Philadelphia During the American Revolution, by Aaron Sullivan (University of Pennsylvania Press, 2019)

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· Visit the Museum of the American Revolution in Philadelphia, which also offers walking tours of the City’s Revolutionary War sites. For more information, go to the Museum’s website at www.amrevmuseum.org/

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