Hearty in the Cause:

“The Several companies of militia from all Parts of the County…seemed quite unanimous and hearty in the Cause determined to defend their country.”
-Henry Fisher to the Pennsylvania Committee of Safety, April 1, 1776

Whispers of independence crept into Lewes, an active port town of ~500 inhabitants sheltered in the lee of Cape Henlopen, in the spring of 1776 yet those whispers were almost drowned out by the drums of war.

As delegates at the Continental Congress in Philadelphia plotted their motion to separate from Great Britain, 89 nautical miles away, Lewistowners were confronted by the long arm of their mother country’s imperial might. Recognizing the importance of the Bay and River Delaware, the British Royal Navy dispatched Captain Andrew Snape Hammond to blockade that vital waterway with HMS Roebuck, a powerful new frigate of 44 guns, the 28-gun HMS Liverpool, and their supporting tender vessels. Suddenly, a conflict that had seemed confined to faraway New England arrived at Delaware’s doorstep!

Delaware responded with a call to arms: Lewes was flooded with nearly 1,000 troops from its Continental Battalion and local provincial companies, earthen fortifications were thrown up, alarm posts were established, and a guard placed at the Cape Henlopen lighthouse. With them came civilians: the women and children connected to the soldiers, enslaved laborers, farmers, and peddlers. Almost overnight, Lewes was transformed.

At Historic Lewes, we open our season with one of our cornerstone Historic Lewes Town Living History events, Hearty in the Cause. Inspired by a turn of phrase included in a report submitted by local Revolutionary leader Henry Fisher to the Committee of Safety in Philadelphia, the group in charge of the river defenses, this event aims to recreate a snapshot of life in old Lewes during those unprecedented days as winter gave way to spring in 1776.

Guests visiting the Historic Lewes Town Campus at 110 Shipcarpenter Street on Saturday, April 18 and Sunday, April 19 will step into the past. Throughout the day, they will encounter more than a score of knowledgeable historical interpreters dressed like 18th-century Lewestowners. They will hear rumors of Loyalist uprisings in the county’s interior, tales of vessels captured by the British, accounts of a sharp fight on Cape Henlopen to protect a Lewes schooner, news of captured Royal Navy sailors locked in the town jail and they will be no stranger to talk of the fitting out of vessels as privateer raiders on Lewes creek, rising prices at market, booming business in the taverns, and more!

Guests can also hear muskets crash as citizens train themselves to be soldiers, enjoy a taste of history at our tavern, coffee-house, or food stall, seek to cure what ails them with a visit to a colonial-era doctor, listen to music of the age, have silhouettes drawn, play colonial games, or complete a heritage craft with family and friends.

A full weekend of learning and fun awaits! Hearty in the Cause runs Saturday, April 18 (10:00-4:00) and Sunday, April 19 (10:00-3:00). Admission is $10.00 per person, with youth aged 12 and under being FREE.

~Proceeds go to support our ongoing mission to keep Lewes’ rich past in our present.~