Johann Heinrichs was a member of the Hessian jager corps occupying Philadelphia in January 1778. In this letter to friend in Hesse, dated January 18, 1778, he tries to make sense of the religious influences on the American Revolution.
He writes:
Call this war, dearest friend, by whatsoever name you may, only call it not an American Revolution, it is nothing more nor less than an Irish-Scotch Presbyterian Rebellion. Those true Americans, who take the greatest part therein, are the famous Quakers. The most celebrated, the first ones in entire Pennsylvania and Philadelphia and Boston are, properly speaking, the heads of the Rebellion.
Source: Pennsylvania Magazine of History and Biography XXI:2 (1898)
Thanks to Chris Juergens for bringing this letter to my attention.
Is Heinrich’s confused about Quakers leading the charge or is he referring to the so-called “weighty friends” in Philadelphia who did support the Revolution?
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