Worn Ragged: Textile Supply, Maintenance, and Repair during the Revolutionary War (Virtual)

During the Revolutionary War, textiles for the Continental Army were much needed, but in short supply. American military leaders struggled to procure enough textiles to meet the demands of their campaigns, which could include broadcloth destined for regimental coats, sailcloth and canvas meant for ship sails or tents, linen for grain bags, wagon covers, knapsacks, bandages, and shirts, and woolen blankets and knit stockings. Procurement, however, was only half the battle. Once they entered the fray on the backs of soldiers, textiles experienced the unique violence of war just as readily as the soldiers that wore or carried them. Using surviving mended wartime objects like knapsacks, tents, uniform coats, and flags, as well as soldiers’ writings, Emily Whitted explores the rich history of textiles during the Revolutionary War, including the damage they experienced and the men and women behind their maintenance and repair within military camps like nearby Valley Forge.

About the Speaker: Emily Whitted is the 2026-2027 Program in Early American Economy & Society (PEAES) Postdoctoral Fellow at the Library Company of Philadelphia. She is currently writing a book on the history of textile repair in early America, and has worked for a number of cultural institutions on projects related to the American Revolution, including the Bucks County Historical Society, the Porter-Phelps-Huntington Museum, and the National Parks Service. She holds a Ph.D. in History from the University of Massachusetts Amherst, as well as a M.A. degree in American Material Culture from the Winterthur Program at the University of Delaware.

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.

This program is made possible with the support of the Chester County Community Foundation and the Chester County History Center Special Fund in honor of 18th century botanist Humphry Marshall.

Image includes Stephen Olney’s American Flag, ca. 1780. 1970.71.1 Collection of Rhode Island Historical Society.