New Book – Capital Day: Lancaster and the Revolution Now Available

On September 27, 1777, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, became the capital of the United States. It sounds almost impossible.

For one extraordinary day, during one of the most dangerous moments of the American Revolution, the young nation’s government gathered inside the county courthouse in the center of Lancaster. Today, that spot is marked by the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Penn Square. Thousands of people pass through the square every year, often without realizing that the American government once met there in a moment of fear, uncertainty, and resolve.

That remarkable story is the focus of my book, Capital Day: Lancaster and the Revolution, September 27, 1777.

Late in the summer of 2024, LancasterHistory asked if I would create a five-minute History of Capital Day presentation for an event commemorating Lancaster’s brief moment as the nation’s capital. What began as a short talk quickly grew into something much larger. Nearly two years later, that project has become a finished book, and I’m excited to finally share it.

The book is now available on Amazon and in the Uncharted Lancaster store.

When Lancaster Became the Capital

The story begins in the summer of 1777, when British General William Howe launched his campaign against Philadelphia, the political heart of the American Revolution. Instead of attacking the city directly by way of the Delaware River, Howe took the long way around. His army sailed from New York, traveled down the Atlantic coast, entered the Chesapeake Bay, and landed at Head of Elk in present-day Maryland.

From there, the British began their march toward Philadelphia.

George Washington moved to stop them. The campaign brought fighting at Cooch’s Bridge, maneuvering through Delaware and southeastern Pennsylvania, and finally the massive Battle of Brandywine on September 11, 1777. Washington’s army fought hard, but the British victory opened the road toward Philadelphia.

With Howe’s army advancing, the Continental Congress could no longer safely remain in the city.

In the early morning hours of September 19, Congress fled Philadelphia. Delegates, government papers, records, and refugees moved west across Pennsylvania. Some went by way of Trenton, Easton, Bethlehem, and Reading before reaching Lancaster. Along the way, the government of a nation still fighting for its survival was packed into wagons and carried across the countryside.

Then, on September 27, 1777, Congress met in Lancaster.

Inside the Courthouse

At 10 o’clock that morning, John Hancock called Congress to order inside Lancaster’s courthouse. Twenty-seven delegates and a president were present. Among them were some of the most recognizable names of the Revolution, including John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, Robert Morris, Richard Henry Lee, Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Samuel Chase, Elbridge Gerry, and Henry Laurens.

The meeting lasted only a few hours.

Congress read letters from the front, referred military matters to the Board of War, handled urgent business, and then made a crucial decision. Lancaster was still too close to the British army. The government would move farther west to York.

By the time Congress adjourned, Lancaster’s brief moment as the capital was over. But its place in American history had been secured.

What You’ll Find Inside the Book

Capital Day: Lancaster and the Revolution tells the story behind that forgotten day and the crisis that brought Congress to Lancaster.

Inside, readers will discover:

• Why the British targeted Philadelphia in 1777
• Why Howe avoided the Delaware River and took the long way around
• How Washington tried to stop the British advance
• What happened at Cooch’s Bridge and Brandywine
• How Hamilton’s urgent warning helped push Congress toward evacuation
• How government records, refugees, and symbols of independence moved west
• What happened inside Lancaster’s courthouse on September 27, 1777
• Who was present when Congress met that day
• Why Congress left for York after only one session
• How Lancaster fits into the larger story of America’s nine capitals

The book also introduces the men who gathered in Lancaster that morning, from famous founders to lesser-known delegates whose lives and decisions helped shape the Revolution. It explores the notable absence of George Ross, Lancaster’s own signer of the Declaration of Independence, and places Lancaster’s one-day capital status within the larger story of the nine cities that have served as capitals of the United States.

A Forgotten Moment in Plain Sight

One of the things I love most about this story is how visible and invisible it is at the same time. The site where Congress met is not hidden deep in the woods. It is not tucked away on a forgotten battlefield. It is right in the center of Lancaster. People drive past it. Walk past it. Meet friends there. Attend events there. Take photos there. Yet, for most Americans, the story of what happened there remains almost unknown.

For one day in 1777, Lancaster stood at the center of the American Revolution. The British were closing in on Philadelphia. Washington’s army was battered but still in the field. Congress was on the move. The future of the nation was uncertain. And for a few brief hours, the road to American independence ran straight through the Red Rose City.

Available Now

Capital Day: Lancaster and the Revolution, September 27, 1777 is available now. Buy it on Amazon or in the Uncharted Lancaster store.

Whether you are a Lancaster County history lover, a Revolutionary War reader, a student of America’s forgotten capitals, or someone who enjoys discovering the overlooked stories hiding in familiar places, I hope this book helps you see Penn Square and Lancaster’s place in the Revolution in a new way.

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