Rum Punch & Revolution: Taverngoing & Public Life in Eighteenth Century Philadelphia

276 Pages·1998·5.808 MB·English

by  Peter Thompson

Rum Punch and Revolution
EARLY AMERICAN STUDIES
RichardS,Dunn,Director,TheMcNeilCenterforEarlyAmerican
Studies, SeriesEditor
A complete listofbooks inthe seriesisavailablefrom the publisher.
Taverngoing &
Public Life in
Eighteenth-Century
Philadelphia
Peter Thompson
UN IVERSITY 0 F PENN SYLVA N IAPRESS • Philadelphia
Copyright©1999UniversityofPennsylvaniaPress
Allrights reserved
PrintedintheUnitedStates ofAmericaonacid-freepaper
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3
Publishedby
UniversityofPennsylvaniaPress
Philadelphia,Pennsylvania19104-40II
LibraryofCongressCataloguing-in-PublicationData
Thompson,Peter,1960-
Rumpunchandrevolution:taverngoingandpubliclifein
eighteenthcenturyPhiladelphia/PeterThompson.
p.cm.- (EarlyAmericanstudies)
Includesbibliographicalreferencesandindex.
ISBN0-8122-3459-6(acid-freepaper).
ISBN0-8122-1664-4(pbk. acid-free paper)
1.Philadelphia(Pa.)-History-Colonialperiod,ca.1600-1775.
2.Philadelphia(Pa.)-History-Revolution,1775-1783-Social
aspects. 3.Philadelphia(Pa.)-Sociallifeandcustoms.
4.Taverns (Inns)-Pennsylvania- Philadelphia-History-r-rxth
century. 5.Politicalculture-Pennsylvania-Philade1phia
History-r-rxthcentury. I.Title. II. Series.
FI58·4·T47 1998
974.8'II02-dc21 98-27389
CIP
For Alex
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Contents
List ofIllustrations ix
Introduction I
1. "For StrangersandWorkmen":TheOriginsand Development
ofPhiladelphia'sTavernTrade 21
2. "Contrivedfor Entertainment": RunningaTavernin
ColonialPhiladelphia 52
3."CompanyDividedinto Committees":Taverngoingin
ColonialPhiladelphia 75
4."OfGreatPresumption": PublicHouses,PublicCulture,
and the Political Life ofColonialPhiladelphia III
5."CouncilsofState": Philadelphia'sTaverns and the American
Revolution 145
Epilogue: "Allthe ApparatusofEasternFable" 182
ListofAbbreviations 205
Notes 207
Selected Bibliography 249
Acknowledgments 257
IndexofTavernkeepers, PetitionersforTavern Licenses,
and PublicHouses 259
GeneralIndex 261
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Illustrations
SilverPunchBowl. C. 1755-1760. 4
SilverCann. n.d. 5
TheBellTavern.1858. 6
A SouthEastProspectofthe CityofPhiladelphia.1708.
ThePennypotTavernand Griscom'sAcademy. 1830.
TheSoutheastCornerofThirdand MarketStreets.1800.
"To the PhilharmonicalMerchants, and Others."1769.
Frontispiece. TheAmericanJestBook...1796.
ToastingGlass. 1770? 100
WilliamBradford'sOldLondonCoffeehouse.1830. 108
TheOldLondonCoffeehouse.1854.
of
ThePaxtonExpedition. InscribedtotheAuthor theFarce.1764.
TheElection Medley. 1764.
A NewSong Suitabletothe Season...1765.
TheOldPloughTavern. C. 1885.
Frontispiece. TheMerry-Fellows Companion. 1797.
Ricketts's Circusand Geller'sHotel.1797.
Glass Decanterand Stopper. C. 1760.
SilverCann.1775.
CreamwarePunchBowlInscribed"TheFrederalUnion."
C.1800. 201