Philadelphia History Meetup

The Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) will hold its next book club meeting on Wednesday, May 20 at 7 pm on Zoom (Note new day. Book Club is typically scheduled for the third Tuesday of the month). There is no fee to attend and everyone is welcome. Participants should come ready to discuss the book. The selection is Prisoners of Congress: Philadelphia Quakers in Exile, 1777-1778 by Norman Donoghue II, which details the 1777 exile of 19 prominent Philadelphia Quakers to Virginia by the Continental Congress, who viewed their refusal to support the war effort as dangerous to national security.

The book explores this event through the experiences of four families (Drinkers, Fishers, Pembertons, and Gilpins), examining the conflict between individual liberties and wartime security, and how the once-powerful Quakers became political prisoners. Published in 2023, it’s considered the first comprehensive scholarly work on this episode, highlighting the tension between pacifism and patriotism during the Revolution.

The Zoom link will be sent out the week of the meeting in the APT Tour Talk email. Non-members who wish to attend should contact APT Secretary Pam Covey phillyguides@gmail.com by 5 pm the day of the meeting to get the Zoom link.

Join the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) for a webinar by APT corporate member Vance Lehmkuhl of the American Vegan Center to learn about a 1776 trailblazer on Wednesday, May 27 at 7 pm on Zoom. Where he’s known at all, Anthony Benezet’s reputation is as a refugee from France, educational innovator, and pioneering abolitionist. But with the 250th anniversary of 1776, it’s worth noting how this soft-spoken Quaker paved the way for the Founding Fathers’ “Patriot” crusade.

This webinar for tour guides will highlight Benezet’s key role in popularizing both “natural rights” language (in the 1760s) and public opposition to British slavery among the colonists (in the 1770s), in addition to his seminal role in bringing his fellow Quakers to a game-changing milestone in 1776. We’ll also show how Benezet’s tireless work within the human sphere was tied to his revolutionary advocacy for animals.

This Zoom presentation is free and all are welcome. To receive the Zoom link, please RSVP on the website by Wednesday, May 27 at 6 pm. Questions? Email Marianne Ruane at president@phillyguides.org. Please join us – it’s a great opportunity to up your tour guide game with some lesser known history!