Rum Punch And Revolution Summary

Taverns were an integral part of colonial Philadelphia. They created and promoted a fascinating culture that appealed to many men. This culture shaped the social and political attitudes of colonial Philadelphia. In his work Rum Punch and Revolution, historian Peter Thompson examines in thorough detail how a milieu in which the focal point is mass consumption of alcohol actually influenced Philadelphia during such a pivotal time in the eighteenth-century. In his introduction, Thompson clearly presents his main argument to the reader, and aims to explain to what degree did people “defend their complicated and contested notions of community and society in a new world environment”. That is, taverns were taverns were a site where identities were …show more content…
The book starts off with an in-depth investigation of the logistics tavern origins and trade. Thompson claims that part of the reason why there was such a steady growth of taverns in operation in colonial Philadelphia is due to “the determination of Philadelphians from all walks of life, especially those who were disadvantaged, to enter the trade to secure a livelihood”. In other words, the people of colonial Philadelphia helped facilitate the businesses, and the taverns helped create an economic framework for many working-class citizens. In the later chapters Thompson moves to the heart of the tavern – how the tavern created social and political ideologies. In particular, Thompson asserts that “conflict and consensus were the hallmarks of tavern companies”; whereas the taverns promoted a sense of diversity, men often felt the need to reaffirm their social status over toasts, group drinking, and other forms of multi-men activities. He ends his book with an analysis of how the competitive nature of taverns influenced heated political debate, given that revolutionary ideals, and the opposite, loomed over men of differing social