John Adams and Benjamin Franklin Visit New Brunswick 1776

The British victory in the Battle of Long Island on August 27, 1776 set the stage for the Staten Island Peace Conference. The fight was the largest of the war, and the first key fight to take place after the July 4th signing of the Declaration of Independence. Over 40,000 men took part in the conflict, and over 300 died. In the clash, the British captured western Long Island (present-day Brooklyn). British naval forces were led by Admiral Richard Howe, and Richard’s brother, General William Howe, was responsible for their land forces.  

During the battle, the British captured over 1,000 American troops, including multiple important Continental Army officers. One of those captured was Major General John Sullivan, who was released by the Howes on parole to act as their messenger to the Continental Congress in Philadelphia. Sullivan, acting on British orders, gave a speech to Congress imploring them to send an envoy to discuss peace. In response, Congress reluctantly agreed to send three of its representatives, (Benjamin Franklin, Edward Rutledge, and John Adams) to meet with Admiral Howe at the Staten Island residence of Christopher Billop.  

John Adams documented the trip in his autobiography. He felt anxious about how unconcerned soldiers and officers appeared along their journey. To Adams, the Continental Army seemed poorly disciplined. Still, he was confident that American forces would duly fall in line in time.  

The city’s inns were nearly full when the men reached New Brunswick late on September 9th. With luck, Franklin and Adams found a tiny room in an unknown tavern. The lodging had one bed, one window, no chimney, and was not much larger than the bed itself. The two men were forced to share the space for the night. Which tavern the men stayed in is still debated, but there is a possibility it was the Indian Queen.  

As Franklin and Adams were settling in for the night, the two erupted into a passionate debate over whether to keep the window open or closed. “The Window was open, and I, who was an invalid and afraid of the Air in the night, shut it close. Oh! says Franklin don't shut the Window. We shall be suffocated. I answered I was afraid of the Evening Air. Dr. Franklin replied, the Air within this Chamber will soon be, and indeed is now worse than that without Doors: come! open the Window and come to bed, and I will convince you: I believe you are not acquainted with my Theory of Colds. Opening the Window and leaping into Bed, I said I had read his Letters to Dr. Cooper in which he had advanced, that Nobody ever got cold by going into a cold Church, or any other cold Air: but the Theory was so little consistent with my experience, that I thought it a Paradox: However I had so much curiosity to hear his reasons, that I would run the risque of a cold. The Doctor then began an harrangue, upon Air and cold and Respiration and Perspiration, with which I was so much amused that I soon fell asleep, and left him and his Philosophy together…”

The next morning, the convoy set off for the remainder of their journey to Staten Island. When they arrived at the Billop house, they discovered it had been ravaged by British soldiers. Lord Howe had his men tidy up the meeting space, and the four men proceeded with business over a luxurious meal. Unfortunately, the conference proved fruitless. 

From the beginning, Adams had his doubts about the meeting. During the encounter, Adams openly insulted Howe’s loyalist demeanor, to which Howe replied, “Mr. Adams appears to be a decided character.” After the conference, Howe put Adams on a list of people excluded from pardon offers. In truth, the conference was doomed from the beginning, as Lord Howe had no authority to end the conflict. Adams, Franklin, and Rutledge insisted on Howe’s recognition of America’s independence, but the Admiral incessantly rejected their pleas. The meeting failed to produce peace, and the war continued.   

There is strong possibility that the Indian Queen Tavern served as the stopover for the Continental Congress’s envoy to the Staten Island Peace Conference. Only a handful of taverns existed in New Brunswick at the time of their trip. Regardless, the Indian Queen Tavern stands as a great example of a people’s retreat, where colonial classes coalesced. From Founding Fathers to itinerant traders, colonial taverns of its kind hosted everyone. In 1797, President John Adams visited New Brunswick once more, and this time, a local newspaper named the “Gazette” documented the entire affair. The newspaper claimed Adams stayed in the Bell , perhaps as a nod to its role in the Revolutionary War.  

Franklin and Adams slept here: Indian Queen Tavern at East Jersey Olde Towne. (n.d.). Retrieved August 13, 2020, from http://www.hiddennj.com/2011/09/franklin-and-adams-slept-here-indian.html

When John Adams Slept With Ben Franklin. (2020, January 21). Retrieved August 13, 2020, from https://www.newenglandhistoricalsociety.com/when-john-adams-slept-with-ben-franklin/

Founders Online: Lord Howe's Conference with the Committee of Congress, 11 Sept ... (n.d.). Retrieved August 13, 2020, from https://founders.archives.gov/documents/Franklin/01-22-02-0358