Pennsylvania Society of Sons of the Revolution

11/09/2026

11/01/2026

On October 31, 1777, Henry Muhlenberg recorded news of military actions and the effects of Revolutionary War in the area:

“Today someone passed by who had escaped from Philadelphia the day before yesterday. It is said that the Hessian auxiliary troops lost several hundred of their best men (namely grenadiers, etc.) near Philadelphia last week. They had been commanded to take by storm a small American fort on the Delaware which contained sixteen cannons. The garrison defended itself with such vigor that only a few Hessians escaped with their lives and a prominent general was mortally wounded and taken captive. There is said to be a shortage of food and firewood in the city. Accordingly, wooden buildings are being torn down and used. The expensive fence around our new cemetery, which cost about £80, has already been removed and burned. The houses of inhabitants who have served in the militia are posted for sale and will shortly be sold at auction. According to a manifesto, October 25 was the last day on which to swear allegiance to the king, etc, and those who failed to do so were to be imprisoned until sentence should be executed.”

This excerpt is from “The Journals of Henry Melchior Muhlenberg, Volume 3,” translated by Theodore G. Tappert and John W. Doberstein, 1958. This and additional volumes are available for research at Historic Trappe’s Center for Pennsylvania German Studies in the Dewees Tavern, and the original handwritten journals are preserved by the Lutheran Archives Center at Philadelphia.

10/28/2026

We can't wait to welcome author and printer Bob Sullivan as our next speaker.
Bob will thrill us with fascinating talk "Red Tape and the Revolution" an engaging presentation describing the birth of organized paperwork in the Continental Army. With over 30 printed forms, this is bound to be an eye-opener!
Sunday Nov. 8th, 2:00-4:00 at the Uwchlan Township building 715 N. Ship Rd, Exton

10/25/2026

Honored to represent the Society at the reception honoring the window creators, donors, honorees and supporters of the restoration of the stained glass windows at the Chapel.

10/16/2026

Join us for an enlightening evening with 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲 on 𝗧𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗡𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟮𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝘁 𝟳𝗣𝗠 𝗮𝘁 𝗪𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗚𝗼𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗧𝗼𝘄𝗻𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽.
Historian and author Thomas Maguire, nationally recognized as the premier scholar of Philadelphia-area Revolutionary War battles, will talk about how events in the area played a formative role in the creation of our country.

Register here: https://www.westgoshen.org/FormCenter/Park-Recreation-8/Presentation-with-Thomas-Maguire-81

𝗔𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿 𝗧𝗵𝗼𝗺𝗮𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗶𝗿𝗲
Tom McGuire is a native of the Philadelphia area whose history activities began in 1975-76 at the Valley Forge Historical Society Museum, a predecessor of the Museum of the American Revolution, and Valley Forge National Historical Park 1977-81. A graduate of Villanova University (B. A. 1979; M. A. 1985), he has been teaching history at Malvern Preparatory School since 1980 and has authored six books: The Surprise of Germantown [Thomas Publications, 1994]; Battle of Paoli [2000]; Brandywine Battlefield State Park Trail of History Guide [2001], The Philadelphia Campaign Volume I and Volume II [2006-07]; Stop the Revolution: America in the Summer of Independence and the Conference for Peace [2011]. Tom also researched for David McCullough’s Pulitzer Prize-winning book John Adams and its sequel 1776. He was Vice President of the Paoli Battlefield Preservation Fund 1996-2002 and guest-curated the Chester County Historical Society’s “War Comes to Chester County 1777-78” exhibition in 1997. He served 2016-2020 on the Board of Educators of the Museum of the American Revolution. He has lived with his wife Susan in the Brandywine Valley since 1992.

10/12/2026

10/04/2026

249 years ago today, Washington and his troops marched into Germantown to force the British out of Germantown and then (hopefully) Philadelphia. The Continental Army was successful in surprising the British, but the resulting artillery fire alerted British Colonel Thomas Musgrave's 40th Regiment, who were camped in the fields surrounding Cliveden. Cut off from the main British line, Musgrave ordered his troops into the Main House and used it as a fortress during the battle.

On the Continental side, General Henry Knox suggested to Washington that their troops ‘reduce’ the house. They were ultimately unsuccessful; the thick stone walls protected the house from a cannon attack and fire, and American troops were unable to storm the house. After hours of intense fighting in and around Cliveden, Washington and his forces retreated to Montgomery County. 1,000 Continental soldiers lost their lives in the fight.

Painting of the Battle of Germantown, by an unknown British artist, c. 1780-1800