Nath, Kimberly The Loyalist Experience and Aftermath in Revolutionary Philadelphia

New narratives about the lived experience of the Revolutionary War are presented through five case studies that illuminate the spectrum of experiences of Loyalists in revolutionary Philadelphia. The city of Philadelphia was occupied by the British for nine months during the American Revolutionary War and had a large Loyalist population. At the beginning of the revolution, the newly independent Pennsylvania legislature passed a series of laws that identified Loyalists in the state, convicted them, and confiscated all their property. However, each Loyalist experienced different fates and persecution by the law and society. For example, some Loyalists fled Philadelphia and never returned, like the Rankin and Allen families. They left behind their homes, possessions, and former lives to start anew in the British Empire. Loyalist Matthias Aspden lost everything and spent twenty years after the revolution trying, in vain, to return to his beloved Philadelphia. Others, like Samuel and Rebecca Shoemaker, attempted to circumvent the law, secure their property through their daughters, and actually reintegrate into society after the war. The Fergusons represent another story in which Elizabeth Graeme Ferguson used her husband's absence as an opportunity for independence and sought sole ownership of her property. Through five stories and chapters, the diversity of Loyalist experiences in Philadelphia is revealed, adding new narratives to the history of the American Revolution.