The Loyalist Experience & Aftermath in Revolutionary Philadelphia (Virtual)

This program explores the human dimension of revolution through the lives of those who remained loyal to the British Crown in one of America’s most important cities. During the nine-month British occupation of Philadelphia, the city became a center of loyalist activity, but the war’s end brought sweeping consequences. Pennsylvania’s revolutionary government passed laws that identified, condemned, and confiscated loyalist property, reshaping lives and communities. Through compelling case studies—including families who fled into exile, individuals like Matthias Aspden who spent decades trying to return home, and others who navigated the law to rebuild their lives—this talk reveals the varied and deeply personal consequences of loyalty, loss, and survival in the aftermath of the American Revolution.

About the Speaker: Kimberly Nath is Dean of the School of Arts and Humanities at San Juan College. She previously served as an Associate Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater, where she taught courses in American History. She earned her PhD in American History from the University of Delaware in 2016.

Admission is Pay as You Wish! Your donation is greatly appreciated. All proceeds benefit the development of future programming and the preservation of the History Center and its collections. The History Center is home to over 750,000 manuscripts, 100,000 photographs, and 70,000 artifacts. Your donation helps us to preserve and share those resources.

Presentation is via Zoom, and will be recorded and available for 7 days for all registered participants. We will email out a Zoom link the day of the program, and email a link to the recording within 24 hours. Note: the Zoom link emailed out the day of the presentation only takes you to the live Zoom; the link emailed out the day after will contain the recorded version.