In the "cradle of the American Revolution" loyalists to the Crown faced a harsh choice, live with terrible abuse where they were, or flee to friendlier, but alien regions.

Join us on October 9th at 6.30 p.m. as we welcome Larry C. Kerpelman for a lecture on “The Plight of Loyalists in Massachusetts.” This lecture will be held on Zoom. Reserve your free spot HERE.

It’s estimated that up to one-fifth of American colonists were Loyalists and they didn’t all belong to elite British families tied to the crown or military, says Ben Marsh, a professor of American history at the University of Kent. Our own Isaac Jones was a known Loyalist (or Tory) in the years leading up to the Revolution. We have many primary sources which tell the story of the discontent of Patriots in the town of Weston, including a call to shun Isaac and his tavern. He was also called an “enemy of the country” by local committees, and in March of 1774 there was an attack on the Golden Ball Tavern designed to frighten Isaac and his family. We do not know exactly when he changed his loyalty, but he did begin hauling for the Patriot cause and was allowed to continue operating his businesses and his tavern. Isaac was later part of the Weston Committee to the Massachusetts Assembly that deliberated the merits of the proposed Massachusetts Constitution of 1778.

Larry C. Kerpelman is a freelance writer and communications professional from Massachusetts. After serving as vice president and director of corporate communications at the Cambridge research and consulting firm Abt Global, Kerpelman turned to researching and writing about singular moments in American history. He has published feature articles in American History on the propaganda race that began with the Battle of Lexington and Concord; an enslaved man who was a double agent for Lafayette in Cornwallis’s camp; and the recent discovery of Robert Gould Shaw’s long-lost sword from the Civil War assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina. His recent article “The Plight of Massachusetts Loyalists” appeared in American Heritage in Spring of 2024. His writing has also appeared in The Boston Globe, The Journal of the American Medical Association, and The Chronicle of Higher Education, among other places.

Kerpelman earned his B.A. in psychology from Johns Hopkins University and his Ph.D in clinical psychology from the University of Rochester. He and his wife live in Acton, Massachusetts.