Literature Review

My focus this week has been on my literature review. I had read three books about taverns in colonial America.

Taverns and Drinking in Early America, written by Sharon Salinger, focuses on taverns during colonial America. She does not include taverns during the American Revolution. While this book does not have the America Revolution, as I would like, it does fantastic background for taverns in colonial America. She pays particular attention to laws pertaining to alcohol vs. the observance of the law. She notes that while, most, colonies had strict laws against drunkenness and strict laws about taverns in general, the law itself was mostly disregarded by the masses. Magistrates in charge of persecuting people breaking the law were often found in taverns themselves. There were a low number of people prosecuted, compared to the amount of people breaking the law, during the colonial years. Salinger notes the difference between sectarian (religiously ruled) colonies and non-sectarian colonies. She argued that sectarian colonies were more strict in their approach on upholding the law, while non-sectarian colonies paid less attention to the laws.

Rum Punch and Revolution: Taverngoing and Public Life in Eighteenth-Century Philadelphia, written by Peter Thompson, also focuses on taverns during the colonial era, but he expands his timeline to include the American Revolution. Thompson focuses more heavily on the social aspect of taverns and how that influenced the culture of Philadelphia. Since Philadelphia was a center of rebellion, it is interesting to read on how taverns helped influence the Revolution. His approach is centered on the changes in culture from the colonial era through the Revolution. Thompson favors using first person accounts to expand his idea of the ‘big picture’ of culture during this time.

In Public Houses: Drink and the Revolution of Authority in Colonial Massachusetts, written by David Conroy is a staple in the realm of taverns in colonial America. Taverns were also known as public houses, dram houses, ordinaries or tippling house. This book expresses the culture and social aspects of taverns, in Massachusetts, during the colonial era, as well as during the Revolution. His chapters focus on certain people, public houses and cities. This approach gives a very detailed approach to taverns. It also adds a depth to the story of the role taverns played during the Revolution.

These books have been a central part to my paper because of the amount of information they provide. They are also very solid and well written, which provides me with a strong secondary basis that will give my paper a sturdy base on which to stand (minus my primary sources).

In all honesty, these books, while very thick and timely to read, have been really interesting!