Fraunces Tavern® Museum

12/02/2022

Commemoration of Washington's Farewell to His Officers — Fraunces Tavern® Museum

Join us this Sunday, December 4 from 12pm to 5pm Washington’s Farewell Open House! Commemorate Washington’s emotional farewell to his Officers that took place in the Long Room on December 4, 1783 with $1 admission to the Museum! Witness a reenactment of the Farewell in the room where it happened and take a self-guided tour exploring George Washington’s connections to New York City.
Please note: space is limited for reenactment performances. Advanced registration is recommended.
Tickets can be purchased on our website.

On December 4, 1783, nine days after the last British soldiers left American soil, General George Washington visited Fraunces Tavern. He invited his officers from the Continental Army to thank them for their service, and to bid them farewell. After embracing each officer and wishing them well, Washi...

11/11/2022

We remember the six remaining veterans of the Revolutionary War, all of whom were 100 or more years old, who lived long enough to be photographed in 1864. To all of our veterans in the present day, we thank you for your service to our country.

Celebrating Veterans Day today, we remember the six remaining veterans of the Revolutionary War highlighted in today’s post from Sons of the Revolution in the State of New York’s new Instagram account. Thank you to all veterans who have served our country. Veterans (and active military) always receive free admission to the Museum. https://www.instagram.com/p/Ck0cuMWOPAo/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

11/10/2022

to the United States Marine Corps! in 1775, the Continental Marines were formed by an act of Congress. Captain Samuel Nicholas was appointed to lead them and proceeded to begin recruiting in his native Philadelphia. Tradition holds that this recruitment took place primarily at Tun’s tavern in that city. Future President John Adams noted in his diary that: “two Battalions of Marines be raised, consisting of one Colonel, two Lieutenant Colonels, two Majors, and other Officers as usual in other regiments.”
Nicholas would successfully recruit over 300 men before being deployed in December of that year. The primary purposes of the Marines were to provide ground support for the naval campaigns. In other words, they were to be soldiers at sea. They would serve on ships in conjunction with the Continental Navy and see action on the ground. This multi-purpose role has continued as a mainstay of the Marines ever since.
Some of the most notable actions in which the Continental marines took place included the Raid of Nassau in the Bahamas in 1776 and the Battle of Princeton in January 1777. These were both successful engagements in which the Marines played a part. Among their most notable officers, in addition to Nicholas, were Isaac Craig and the controversial Esek Hopkins. During the war, the Continental Marines would fight as an integrated group, with at least thirteen African Americans serving among the 2,000 Marines. John Martin would be the first of these men to join.
The Marines would serve throughout the war in various roles, primarily supporting the Continental navy at sea. They would help gather intelligence, capture arms, and participate in naval battles. They would be officially disbanded at the end of the war, along with the Continental navy, but not before serving as an essential part of the overall American forces.
Today let us to the Continental Marines and all those who have worn the Eagle, Globe, and Anchor since! Marines!

Image courtesy of the United States Marine Corps.

11/07/2022

Join us on November 10th, as we welcome Adam Van Doren to talk about his new book, "In the Founders' Footsteps: Landmarks of the American Revolution." In this lecture, the author discusses his book and explores well-known and lesser-known historic sites in the 13 original North American colonies, accompanied by his paintings.
The lecture will be held in-person and via zoom. Tickets can be purchased on the museum website. There is a $5 fee for non-museum members for in person tickets and admission is free for museum members in person. Attendance over zoom is free of charge and registration can be found on the museum website. The lecture will begin at 6:30.

11/05/2022

Fraunces Tavern® Museum

Join us next Saturday and Sunday, November 12 and 13, as licensed tour guide Bruce Racond visits the New York City that George Washington would have known from 1776 to 1790! This new walking tour explores the people and places of NYC during this period and Washington’s first term as president, including the important contributions of women and African Americans.
Tickets must be purchased in advance. Ticket purchase for this walking tour includes complimentary Museum admission. Tickets are $25 for museum members and $30 for non-members. Tickets can be purchased on the museum website. The tour will run from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm. https://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/events-calendar/2022/11/12/george-washingtons-new-york-walking-tour

Fraunces Tavern Museum’s mission is to preserve and interpret the history of the American Revolutionary era through public education.

11/03/2022

For this Native American Heritage Month, we are highlighting the story of Koquethagechton, known to many as Chief White Eyes. History goes that Koquethagechton was born sometime in the second half of the 15th century as a member of the turtle clan of the Lenape nation. Given his involvement in the American Revolution, he was actually probably born closer to 1700. As chief, he encouraged his people to form friendly relationships with the white settlers that surrounded them in their traditional homeland of the Delaware River Valley. In 1776, Koquethagechton was sent to the Continental Congress as a representative of Lenape. He agreed that the Lenape would fight with the Patriots if war broke out with the British.

In exchange, the Patriots promised to recognize the Lenape as a sovereign nation, with representation in the new American Congress. Koquethagechton wanted the Lenape to form the 14th state of the United States. This was the first treaty signed between the United States and a Native American Nation. This is known as the Treaty of Fort Pitt, for the places where it was signed.

Soon after Koquethagechton died. According to the colonists this was caused by smallpox, although an American Indian agent and associate of Koquethagechton, named George Morgan, claimed that he had been assassinated by American militiamen. Following his death in 1778, the Lenape relationship with the Patriots began to sour. In December of 1779, a delegation of Lenape went to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia to discuss their dissatisfaction with the treaty they had signed, but they were ignored. After the war, the new United States government disregarded this treaty entirely.

Because of this unhappiness and the lack of Koquethagechton’s influence, the pro-British sentiments among the Lenape began to rise. Many Lenape became neutral, while others decided to fight for the British.

11/01/2022

Today on the blog: Programs & Events Associate Jack Campbell highlights the important role played by privateers in the Revolutionary War. Read about the Pirates of the American Revolution! https://www.frauncestavernmuseum.org/privateer-revolution

10/31/2022

from Fraunces Tavern Museum!

10/28/2022

that the earliest reference to baseball came all the way back in 1744? It appeared in a children’s book entitled “A Little Pretty Pocket-Book,” sometimes considered to be the first children’s book. Though the game it refers to is actually Rounders, an ancestor of modern baseball, it is still the first time that “baseball” appears in print. It is described in a poem that goes:
Base-Ball
The ball once struck off,
Away flies the Boy
To the next destin’d Post,
And then Home with Joy.
Written by John Newbery, also known as the “Father of Children’s Literature” in some circles, the booklet also included an image of the game being played. Though visually different from the modern game, one can see its origins in the image. So, as the begins tonight, think back to the colonial era and the origins of “America’s National Pastime.” It goes back much farther than you may expect!
Image: A Pretty Little Pocket-Book by John Newbery courtesy of the Library of Congress

10/26/2022

Join us on October 27th as we welcome author Keith Beutler as he discusses his new book "George Washington's Hair: How Early Americans Remembered the Founders. In this lecture, the author will discuss how surviving reported locks of George Washington’s hair in the holdings of more than 100 public archives and historical museums, including Fraunces Tavern Museum, offer clues about influential, but often forgotten performances of patriotic memory in the early United States.
This lecture will be held in person and via zoom. In person tickets are $5 or free for museum members and can be purchased on the museum website. Online tickets are completely free and can also be purchased on the museum website. Please note that the lecture will begin at 5:30 pm.

10/24/2022

Charlotte Temple was the first novel published in the United States to become a best seller. Written by Susanna Rawson, the novel was originally published in England in 1791. It became Rawson’s greatest success after 1794, when it was first published in America.

This book can be considered a Sentimental novel. This was a genre of writing that became popular in the eighteenth century, focusing on stories of heightened emotions to evoke feelings of sympathy and catharsis in the reader. The most famous example of an American sentimental novel is Uncle Tom’s Cabin.

This book focuses on the life of its titular character, a young woman who is deceived by a wealthy man. He promises her marriage and they elope to New York, but after Charlotte falls pregnant he abandons her to marry a wealthier woman. Many novels like Charlotte Temple focus on the story of a seduced woman, reflecting social concerns of the time. In the late eighteenth century, seduction moved from being a crime prosecuted by the Church to one prosecuted by the state. The Marriage Act of 1753, an act of Parliament which outlawed marriage outside of the Church of England and forbade people under 21 from marrying without parental consent, also led to some young people running away to elope, as Charlotte does in the novel.

Charlotte Temple went through over 200 editions in America and remained the biggest bestseller in the country until Uncle Tom’s Cabin was published in 1851.

Images: Charlotte Temple Title page, Susanna Rawson, 1814 edition, New York, E. Duyckinck.

Watercolor miniature of Susanna Rawson, Courtesy of the University of Virginia Library.

10/21/2022

that tavern patrons would use jugs like this to play drinking games. Generally called puzzle jugs, these trick containers originated sometime in the 16th century and became especially popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. While our puzzle jug has a unique equestrian scene, there are many examples of white and blue British delftware puzzle jugs. These examples usually contain a riddle teasing the reader and prompting them to solve the puzzle. One example from the Victoria and Albert Museum in London has the rhyme, “Try how to drink and not to spill and prove the utmost of your skill.”

Because of the piercings at the top of the jug, if a person attempted to sip from the rim, or to tilt the jug at all, the liquid inside would spill out making it impossible to drink. The trick to solving this puzzle lies in the handle. Unlike a typical jug, the handle is hollow and extends all the way down to the base where liquid would pool. The ring around the neck of the jug, where the three horizontal spouts are attached is also hollow. This allows one of the spouts to be used as a mouthpiece with the handle acting as a straw. The trick is to figure out which spout is the correct one and how to create enough suction to drink. The handle has a small hole on the underside of its curve that must be covered along with two of the spouts in order to drink.
Image: "Puzzle Jug" from the collections of Fraunces Tavern Museum

10/19/2022

, October 19, 1781, Lord Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown. In the decisive action of the Revolution, the Continental Army defeated the British at Yorktown, Virginia. The victory came after a siege and attack on the town with the aid of the French. The Americans were led by General George Washington, while the Comte de Rochambeau led the French. Yorktown would be the last major battle of the war.
Much of the battle's success came due to Washington's strategy. The war had been fought primarily in the south for the previous few years, meaning that both armies had a significant presence in the region. Most, though, believed that New York City would be the location of the deciding action. Washington desperately wanted to redeem himself after his disastrous defeat there in 1776, which had become the base of British operations. Despite his desire to take the city, Washington knew that he could use this to his advantage. He knew the British were aware of his desire to take back the city, and he used that against them.
Washington devised a plan where he would seem to move his forces north toward New York. The British subsequently split their army, sending part of it north after Washington and the rest to the coastal town of Yorktown. In reality, Washington instead surrounded the smaller British force by land and laid siege to them with the French Navy blockading the port and preventing a sea escape. As the siege grew more successful, Washington decided to attack.
The resulting victory in battle proved to be the final straw for the British. Lord Cornwallis declined to surrender in person, citing “ill health,” and instead sent his subordinate, General Charles O’Hara. As a matter of honor, Washington refused O’Hara’s surrender and instead directed him to his own subordinate, General Benjamin Lincoln. Lincoln accepted it on behalf of the Continental Army. Peace negotiations began soon after and would culminate in the Treaty of Paris in 1783.
Today, let us to the heroes of Yorktown, who provided the ultimate victory in the Revolutionary War!
Image: Surrender of Lord Cornwallis by John Trumbull. Courtesy of Architect of the Capitol

10/13/2022

The Continental Congress established , October 13, 1775, the Continental Navy. Intended to intercept British goods, the Navy became a vital component of the American war effort. Championed in Congress by future President John Adams, the Continental Navy took part in important battles throughout the war. Among its most notable figures included Captains John Barry and John Paul Jones.
In addition to intercepting goods, another important job of the new Navy would be to protect American shipping and ports. Once Congress passed the legislation creating the naval force, they also approved recommendations for the supply of ships. As time went on, the strength of the Navy grew, as did its influence in Congress. The Congressional Naval Committee would expand in size and power, and more ships would continue to get built. The British had arguably the world’s most formidable Navy, so it was known that quite an effort would be required to match it.
The formal Navy was not alone in its seafaring duties. Privateers got commissioned by both Congress and individual states to fight independently. While not a part of the Navy, they were essential cogs in the naval machine that operated during the Revolutionary War. They would also be aided eventually by the arrival of the French fleet that would prove critical in the Siege of Yorktown and the ultimate victory in the war. In addition to these supports, the Continental Marines got created by Congress to aid the Navy in its duties.
Some of the most notable ships of the Continental Navy included the Alfred, Columbus, and Andrew Doria. There was also the Ranger which was famously captained by John Paul Jones during the war and became famous through his actions at Flamborough Head and the Raid on Whitehaven. Captain John Barry served at the helm of several ships and became one of the Continental Navy’s most renowned figures.
The Continental Navy served in a critical role during the American Revolution. Today, let us to it and all that served as part of it during the American Revolution
Image: Continental ship Alfred painting by W. Nowland Van Powell. Courtesy of Naval History and Heritage Command

10/12/2022

, October 12, 1795, Samuel Fraunces passes away. Our namesake was the proprietor of the Queen’s Head tavern during the American Revolution and was an ardent Patriot. We do not know much about Fraunces’ life before his ownership of the tavern, but there is much speculation about his background. The belief is that he was born around 1722, and it is possible that he was from the West Indies. He was first documented in New York City in 1755 when he registered with the city as a “freeman” and “innholder.”
In 1762, he opened the Queen’s Head Tavern, and it soon became a popular locale within the city. Like other tavern spaces, it was a place where news and gossip were shared. Politics was a common point of discussion, and it was not uncommon for groups to hold meetings here. These groups included the New York City Sons of Liberty, the New York Society Library, the Social Club, the Friendly Brothers of St. Patrick, the Knights of the Order of Corsica, and the Saint Andrew’s Society.
When war broke out, Fraunces remained loyal to the Patriot cause. His tavern was used for meetings of the New York Provincial Congress, and General George Washington frequented it. Some say it was Washington’s favorite place to go in the city. The relationship Fraunces created with Washington would develop and continue even after the war. During the British occupation of New York, Fraunces fled the city and left the tavern to his Loyalist son-in-law. He would return once the war was over.
Washington would hire Fraunces as Presidential Steward upon Washington’s election in 1789. Fraunces would remain in the position even after the nation’s capital moved to Philadelphia the following year. While he did have a brief falling out with President Washington, the two eventually made up, and he continued in the President’s service for several years. He would eventually pass away in 1795, having lived an extraordinary, if mysterious, life.
Today let us in remembrance of our namesake, Samuel Fraunces! A Patriot of the American Revolution and friend to George Washington.
Image: INSIDE AN ORDINARY BY EDWIN TUNIS. DATE UNKNOWN.