Uploaded December 2025 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Recorded from our December 2025 First Saturday Program at the Delaware Public Archives. You can see our upcoming events in the link below:
archives.delaware.gov/events-calendar
Sussex County was bitterly divided over the issue of American independence, though a sizable majority of residents opposed separation from Great Britain. William Peery, a farmer, lawyer, and member of the Delaware General Assembly who also served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1786, firmly supported independence. Boaz Manlove, a prominent Sussex County landowner and political figure with strong Loyalist sympathies, just as firmly opposed it. What became of these two men once Congress declared independence, and how did years of war affect their families? Having sided with the winning cause, Peery continued to play a role in Sussex County politics after the war, but how did he manage that in a community where his wartime position had been unpopular? Join us for a presentation that explores these personal stories and the broader impact of the Revolution on Sussex County.
Presented by: Bruce Bendler, Adjunct Professor at University of Delaware
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Website - archives.delaware.gov
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Twitter - twitter.com/DEPublicArchive
Recorded from our December 2025 First Saturday Program at the Delaware Public Archives. You can see our upcoming events in the link below:
archives.delaware.gov/events-calendar
Sussex County was bitterly divided over the issue of American independence, though a sizable majority of residents opposed separation from Great Britain. William Peery, a farmer, lawyer, and member of the Delaware General Assembly who also served as a delegate to the Continental Congress in 1786, firmly supported independence. Boaz Manlove, a prominent Sussex County landowner and political figure with strong Loyalist sympathies, just as firmly opposed it. What became of these two men once Congress declared independence, and how did years of war affect their families? Having sided with the winning cause, Peery continued to play a role in Sussex County politics after the war, but how did he manage that in a community where his wartime position had been unpopular? Join us for a presentation that explores these personal stories and the broader impact of the Revolution on Sussex County.
Presented by: Bruce Bendler, Adjunct Professor at University of Delaware
FOLLOW:
Website - archives.delaware.gov
Subscribe - youtube.com/channel/UC7_WXMeC-vpYdJmxBIJR7uQ
Instagram - instagram.com/DEPublicArchives
Facebook - facebook.com/DelawarePublicArchives
Twitter - twitter.com/DEPublicArchive
