Newburyport’s Road to Independence III: Loyalists, Prisoners, and the Homefront

Step into wartime Newburyport with Alex Cain as loyalists face persecution, prices soar, and fear hangs heavy as we move to independence.

In 1776, as war raged across the American colonies, the clash of armies echoed far beyond the battlefield into everyday life in Newburyport. Historian and fan favorite Alex Cain invites you to step into a time where loyalists were persecuted, British prisoners were confined, and families struggled with soaring prices, shortages, and the constant shadow of loss from combat. At the same time, privateer prizes poured into the harbor, flooding the port with captured riches and stirring hope of fantastic opportunities. Through hardship and adversity alike, Newburyport pressed on in its determined drive toward independence.

Funded, in part, by the Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism.