Ben Franklin's World BFW Revisited: British-Occupied Philadelphia, 1777–1778
Mar 31, 2026
Kalila Williams, historical interpreter focused on Black and women's history; George Boudreau, urban historian and museum director; Aaron Sullivan, Revolutionary War scholar. They explore daily life under British rule in Philadelphia. Short scenes cover who stayed or fled, quartering and shortages, soldiers’ entertainments, economic booms for some, and how Black Philadelphians weighed freedom amid upheaval.
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Philadelphia Was Largely Disaffected Not Fanatical
- Philadelphia in 1777 was politically disaffected, with most people neither strongly revolutionary nor loyalist.
- Aaron Sullivan links this to Quaker pacifism and merchant ties to Britain, making the city a barometer rather than a committed rebel stronghold.
Elizabeth Drinker Describes Brandywine Panic
- Elizabeth Drinker recorded the chaos after Brandywine, describing wounded soldiers and civic panic as people feared the British arrival.
- Her diary shows congressmen and citizens scrambling, destroyed ferries, and an initially embarrassed return to town.
Howe Staged A Polished Occupation To Win Hearts
- General Howe staged a careful, phased occupation to make a good impression on Philadelphians, keeping baggage and smelly camp followers out of the city.
- That polished entrance won some neutral residents' grudging respect despite underlying tensions.