Tavern Tour 250: staying neutral during a revolution

If you were alive during the American Revolution, which side would you have been on? Would you have been a patriot? A loyalist to the crown? Maybe somewhere in between?

Air Date: March 19, 2026 1:00 pm

George Washington at the Battle of Monmouth in June of 1778, shortly after the British army left Philadelphia (Photo courtesy of the National Archives)

As the 250th anniversary of America’s founding approaches, Studio 2 has been on an epic tour of taverns dating back to the 1700s. At each, we’ve heard from experts and enthusiasts about revolutionary American history – stories about zealous patriots and steadfast loyalists, French and British rivalries, and pivotal military operations like George Washington’s legendary Delaware River crossing.

But what about the Americans who wanted nothing to do with the war? What about the men and women who were more concerned with their crops than with King George’s sphere of influence? Today, we’re talking about the “disaffected,” the term used by both sides to describe colonists with neither revolutionary fervor nor loyalty to the crown.

At the Temperance House in Newtown, Bucks County, we heard about this often overlooked demographic and how they fared as the pendulum of power swung back and forth throughout the war.

Guest:

Aaron Sullivan – a historian, professor at Rider University and the author of “Disaffected: Britain’s Occupation of Philadelphia During the American Revolution.”

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