The next monthly meeting of the Association of Philadelphia Tour Guides (APT) will be held on Wednesday, June 10 at 7 pm. APT has invited scholar and historian Ned Donoghue to speak on his book, Prisoners of Congress: Philadelphia’s Quakers in Exile, 1777-1778, which uncovers a Revolutionary War story that is mostly forgotten today.

Did you know that in 1777, the Continental Congress condemned Quakers as an internal threat to the new republic? Neighbors quickly became suspects. The book follows four Philadelphia-area families as they are swept into political crisis. Drawing on letters, diaries, and official records, this is the story of 17 Quakers who were forcibly removed from Pennsylvania and imprisoned in Virginia. Stripped of habeas corpus protections, they became the nation’s first political prisoners.

Norman E. “Ned” Donoghue II grew up in West Chester and graduated from Williams College and Duke Law School. For 34 years, he practiced law as a partner at Dechert, and served five years as a founding fundraiser for both the Princess Grace Foundation-USA in New York City and on staff for The Philadelphia Orchestra Association. Ned writes as an independent scholar/historian. His prime focus has been pacifists during the American Revolution, but he has recently widened his scope to write a manuscript about Woodrow Wilson. Ned lives in Philadelphia and on the eastern shore of Maryland. You can learn more about Ned here.

Come early for dinner and drinks! The meeting will be in-person at Philly’s Gourmet Steaks, 114 Market Street, upstairs, and livestreamed on Zoom. The Zoom link will be available in the APT Tour Talk newsletter the week of the meeting; non-members should contact Marianne Ruane president@phillyguides.org no later than 5 pm the day of the meeting to receive the link. A recording will be available on the APT YouTube page for a month following the talk.

APT meetings are open to aspiring and working tour guides as well as anyone with an interest in Philadelphia-focused history. Attend one meeting for free and then it is $60 to join the association for the year or $10 per monthly meeting in-person event. Zoom meetings are free. Please join us for convivial company, good food, fascinating presentations, and lively discussions!