Macungie Township in the late 1790s was a hotbed of patriotic protest. Local farmers and others joined together to voice strident opposition to the way they perceived the new nation was going under President John Adams’s administration, and rebelled against a new federal tax. Named after its leader, John Fries (pronounced “freeze”), the Fries Rebellion made waves at the highest levels of the new government.
In anticipation of America250 celebrations to be held nationwide in 2026, the Lower Macungie Township Historical Society (LMTHS) produced a special film that celebrates one of the region's defining periods.
LMTHS partnered with award-winning production companies, In the Wee hours and ubiFire Video Productions, to produce a 32-minute film delving into 'The Fries Rebellion.' The professionally produced and edited educational tool for K-12 teachers in Eastern Pennsylvania has been distributed nationwide via streaming services, film festivals and local showings in museums and historical societies. The film provides insights into the ongoing, unfolding American experiment, highlights aspects of local heritage, and will be a legacy for generations to come.
In this docudrama, places and events of the Fries Rebellion are seen through the eyes of a modern schoolgirl. Audiences of all ages will be entertained and informed about an insurrection that occurred in 1798-1799, primarily among the German-speaking populations in and surrounding the “Lehigh Hills” region of then Northampton, Eastern Berks, Upper Bucks, and Upper Montgomery counties of Pennsylvania. Several of the scenes feature original sites that still exist, including the Red Lion Inn (formerly Enoch Robert's Tavern - Quakertown), Jamision Publick House (formerly Conrad Mark's Tavern - Geryville), Hendrixson's Furniture Store (formerly John Shymer's Tavern - Shimersville), Buckeye Tavern (formerly Henry Shankweiler's Tavern - Macungie), 1760 House (formerly Peter Trexler's Tavern - Trexlertown), Commix Hotel (formerly Martin Ritter's Tavern - Allentown), and the 1758 Sun Inn (Bethlehem).
LMTHS partnered with award-winning production companies, In the Wee hours and ubiFire Video Productions, to produce a 32-minute film delving into 'The Fries Rebellion.' The professionally produced and edited educational tool for K-12 teachers in Eastern Pennsylvania has been distributed nationwide via streaming services, film festivals and local showings in museums and historical societies. The film provides insights into the ongoing, unfolding American experiment, highlights aspects of local heritage, and will be a legacy for generations to come.
In this docudrama, places and events of the Fries Rebellion are seen through the eyes of a modern schoolgirl. Audiences of all ages will be entertained and informed about an insurrection that occurred in 1798-1799, primarily among the German-speaking populations in and surrounding the “Lehigh Hills” region of then Northampton, Eastern Berks, Upper Bucks, and Upper Montgomery counties of Pennsylvania. Several of the scenes feature original sites that still exist, including the Red Lion Inn (formerly Enoch Robert's Tavern - Quakertown), Jamision Publick House (formerly Conrad Mark's Tavern - Geryville), Hendrixson's Furniture Store (formerly John Shymer's Tavern - Shimersville), Buckeye Tavern (formerly Henry Shankweiler's Tavern - Macungie), 1760 House (formerly Peter Trexler's Tavern - Trexlertown), Commix Hotel (formerly Martin Ritter's Tavern - Allentown), and the 1758 Sun Inn (Bethlehem).
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The film has won 15 international nominations and awards!
It's been aired on PBS39. DVDS of the film with online access to a Teacher's Guide have been provided to regional school district libraries. Watch the FILM!
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Enjoy a self-guided tour map of the historic sites where the rebels met and that were featured in the film!
[Publication funded from the Hotel Tax Grant Program through the County of Northampton's DCED.] Here are a few links to some of the sites: The Buckeye Tavern The Knauss Homestead McCoole's at the Red Lion Inn The Sun Inn 1760 Pub N Grille Jamison Publick House The 1803 House The Shelter House |
What a fantastic movie! The very clever script makes a 200-year old story of a tax revolt suspenseful and entertaining as well as educational. The film shows how fun it is to learn about the Lehigh Valley’s rich history—and offers, at the same time, a tour of the Lehigh Valley’s still beautiful landscapes. I encourage everybody interested in how to bring America’s early history alive to see this film!
Scott Paul Gordon
Andrew W. Mellon Chair
Professor of English
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015
The Letters of Mary Penry: A Single Moravian Woman in Early America
Scott Paul Gordon
Andrew W. Mellon Chair
Professor of English
Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18015
The Letters of Mary Penry: A Single Moravian Woman in Early America
This movie offers a wonderful and captivating introduction to a significant and often overlooked part of Pennsylvania and national history: Fries’s rebellion. The rebellion itself reflected the tension between the federal government and local communities in the early years of the new Republic, a tension that has never entirely gone away. By setting the action of the movie in both the present day and in the eighteenth century, "The Fries Rebellion" succeeds in showing how history still shapes who we are today.
Dr. Lawrence Morris
Associate Professor, Department of English
Albright College
Reading, PA 19604
Dr. Lawrence Morris
Associate Professor, Department of English
Albright College
Reading, PA 19604
Click here for more information about the: Fries Rebellion; map; or references.
Read about Macungie's Shaffer family, some of whom were key figures in the Fries Rebellion.
Read about Macungie's Shaffer family, some of whom were key figures in the Fries Rebellion.
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Artwork by James Mann is on display at the Bartholomew Center for the Preservation of Lower Macungie Township History.
The LMTHS is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. All contributions are considered tax-deductible for federal tax purposes.
