America’s colonial founders brought with them not only political and religious ideals, but also a robust drinking culture. The Pilgrims arrived with a fondness for beer, and promptly constructed both a brew house and a tavern among their earliest buildings. By the pre-Revolutionary decades of the 1770s, rum had eclipsed beer in popularity. Colonial palates adapted quickly, and taverns became the preferred venue for consumption.
By the mid-18th century, taverns were ubiquitous in infant America. Boston alone supported approximately 100 public houses, roughly one for every 20 adults, underscoring the tavern’s central role in colonial social fabric. In 1770, New England contained 159 rum distilleries. By the end of the Revolutionary War, that figure had surged to 2,579 registered distilleries across the 13 colonies.
Imperial policy soon complicated this convivial landscape. In 1686, King James II imposed new taxes on colonists who had previously enjoyed relative autonomy since 1620. Britain sought reimbursement for King Philip’s War (1675–1678), arguing that military action against Northeastern Indigenous nations primarily benefited colonial settlers. While many loyalists grudgingly complied, resentment simmered among others, especially as taxation increased without colonial representation.
Taverns As Centers of Political Resistance
Colonists increasingly objected to parliamentary taxation, particularly on tea, under the rallying cry, “No taxation without representation.” Taverns provided both the physical space and the social infrastructure for dissent. Thomas Jefferson is reputed to have begun drafting portions of the Declaration of Independence at Philadelphia’s Indian Queen Tavern, fortified by a glass of Madeira.
In Boston, the Green Dragon Tavern hosted the Loyal Nine, precursors to the Sons of Liberty, whose basement meetings laid the groundwork for the Boston Tea Party. Popular lore holds that in December 1773, members of the Loyal Nine, encouraged by figures such as Samuel Adams, gathered at the Green Dragon before boarding three ships docked in Boston Harbor. While their initial plan reportedly involved detaining the vessels, the protest escalated into the now-iconic destruction of tea cargo, a spontaneous act that reverberated across the Atlantic.
Parliament responded with the Coercive Acts of 1774, dubbed the Intolerable Acts by colonists, which revoked colonial charters and intensified British authority. Town meetings were outlawed. Governors were replaced. Then taxes expanded. Yet taverns endured as civic centers. They offered meals, lodging, warmth, news, and camaraderie, and continued to host conversations that veered increasingly toward rebellion.
Even Paul Revere’s famed Midnight Ride of April 18, 1775, included a tavern stop. En route from Cambridge to Lexington, he paused at the Hall House Tavern before continuing toward Concord to warn colonial militias that the British were coming.
In sum, taverns were far more than drinking establishments. They functioned as community hubs, information exchanges, and political incubators. The American Revolution was debated, organized, and energized within their walls, often over rum, beer, or Madeira. In a very real sense, the United States was born in taverns.
Listen on History Straight Up
By Carol Taylor, Co-Founder
As co-founder of History Repeatn’, Carol consistently leverages her extensive experiences in both the acting and teaching world to develop engaging and creative experiences that are innovative, informative and entertaining for all.
