Occupied America: British Military Rule and the Experience of Revolution

Fraunces Tavern Museum

In this lecture recorded March 11, 2021, Donald Johnson explores how, in the midst of British military occupation, men and women from a variety of backgrounds navigated harsh conditions, mitigated threats to their families and livelihoods, took advantage of new opportunities, and balanced precariously between revolutionary and royal attempts to secure their allegiance. In so doing, Johnson argues that these people and their experiences shaped the course of the Revolution, gradually discrediting Britain’s ability to govern the former colonies and rotting their attempts to restore order from the inside out.