Bars & Taverns of the American Revolution
If you're anything like us, you love sitting around the table at your favorite bar discussing anything you can feel smart about: news, politics, sports, etc. People love to get together around a pint of beer and exchange ideas, opinions and arguments. But odds are, you're only doing this for friendly conversation and not starting the next revolution or coup d'etat. Many of the Founding Fathers of our country did the very same thing at their local taverns, but for a very real purpose -- to organize the Revolution. Below we've listed four interesting meeting places of the War of Independence. Without these important meeting places, where ideas were exchanged and men were riled up, our nation may have never come to be.
This is a post that we may add to as we discover new and interesting taverns, restaurants, or other haunts of the Revolution. We hope to make this the list to go to if you want to visit a colonial tavern! If you have one that you think we should list, let us know in the comments below and we'll take a look!
Old Constitution House
Location: Windsor, VT
Built: 1750
The Old Constitution House served as a tavern from 1777 to 1848 and is the location where the original Vermont Constitution was drafted, during a thunderstorm that kept the delegates inside instead of retreating in the face of advancing British troops. It is often called the Birthplace of Vermont.
Want to visit the Old Constitution House? Click here.
The Green Dragon Tavern
Location: Boston, MA
Built: Original, 1654 / Rebuilt, 1850s
The Green Dragon Tavern is referred to by many as the headquarters of the Revolution, due in part to it being the meeting place for the Sons of Liberty and the place where the Boston Tea Party was organized. It's also said that Paul Revere's Ride was sparked when those in the tavern overheard plans for the invasion of Lexington and Concorde. The original building caught fire and was demolished in 1854 but was rebuilt shortly thereafter.
Want to visit The Green Dragon Tavern? Click here.
The City Tavern
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Built: Original, 1773 / Rebuilt, 1975
The City Tavern in Philadelphia served as the unofficial meeting place for the delegates of the First Continental Congress, including John Adams and George Washington, who are also rumored to have been first introduced here. Notable patron Benjamin Franklin also visited the tavern for its "genteel" interior. The original building was razed in 1854 but accurately rebuilt in the 1970s according to historic documents and insurance papers.
Want to visit the City Tavern? Click here.
Fraunce's Tavern
Location: New York City, NY
Built: 1719
Fraunce's Tavern, smack-dab in the middle of Manhattan, is the spot where George Washington toasted 13 times to the different people who helped him defeat the British. This was at the end of his parade through the city after the British had pulled out on November 25, 1783. It is also the spot where the Sons of Liberty plotted the New York Tea Party.
Want to visit Fraunce's Tavern? Click here.
