In Public Houses: Drink and the Revolution of Authority in Colonial Massachusetts

by David W. Conroy

In this study of the role of taverns in the development of Massachusetts society, David Conroy brings into focus a vital and controversial but little-understood facet of public life during the colonial era. Concentrating on the Boston area, he reveals a popular culture at odds with Puritan social ideals, one that contributed to the transformation of Massachusetts into a republican society. Public houses were an integral part of colonial community life and hosted a variety of official functions, including meetings of the courts. They also filled a special economic niche for women and the poor, many of whom turned to tavern-keeping to earn a living. But taverns were also the subject of much critical commentary by the clergy and increasingly restrictive regulations. Conroy argues that these regulations were not only aimed at curbing the spiritual corruption associated with public houses but also at restricting the popular culture that had begun to undermine the colony's social and political hierarchy. Specifically, Conroy illuminates the role played by public houses as a forum for the development of a vocal republican citizenry, and he highlights the connections between the vibrant oral culture of taverns and the expanding print culture of newspapers and political pamphlets in the eighteenth century.

Genres: History, Local History

368 pages

First published June 19, 1995

Reviews

[J. Lee Hazlett · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a painstakingly researched and excellently written study of the evolution and impact of tavern culture in colonial Massachusetts. I found myself reading this book at a slower pace than usual, not because it was difficult to read, but because I was intent on not missing a single fascinating sentence. I pored through each chapter's end notes, and ended up searching for and buying copies of several of the referenced sources whose titles and descriptions piqued my interest.

That being said, this book is not going to inspire my reaction in every reader. If you don't already have a solid knowledge of the worldviews, events, and individuals that mattered in the late-17th century through the Revolution, you will probably be somewhat lost. This doesn't mean that you can't still get a lot from reading this book, but it may not be as absorbing for you as it was for me unless you are also a total nerd for the colonial and Revolutionary history of New England.

[Charlye · Rating 5 out of 5]

Incredible look at how pub culture shaped the Revolution.

[ASC Library]

394.12 Con