Andrew Outten, senior manager of historical programs and marketing for the American Revolution Institute, reexamines the Battle of Brandywine from the perspective of the civilian population that experienced the engagement, especially the predominant Quaker community. Drawing from the experiences of a several Quakers living on and around the battlefield—including Joseph Townsend, Gideon Gilpin and Benjamin Ring—this talk demonstrates the devastating effect of war on a local population by exploring British logistical challenges against the backdrop of the social, economic and religious history of eighteenth-century Chester County, Pennsylvania. This program accompanies our exhibition Voices of Revolution, on view through January 10, 2027.
Image: Detail of The Looting of the Gideon Gilpin Home painted by Adrian Martinez, 2025. Oil on canvas. Private collection.
About the Speaker
Andrew Outten is the senior manager of historical programs and marketing for the American Revolution Institute of the Society of the Cincinnati. Prior to joining the Institute’s professional staff in October 2021, he was the director of education and museum services for the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates for nearly ten years. During his time at Brandywine Battlefield Park, he served as the chairman for the Brandywine Battlefield Task Force and as a historical consultant for various regional projects, programs, and studies surrounding the Battle of Brandywine. For these efforts, he was awarded the National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution’s Historic Preservation Medal in 2021. In November 2025, he authored and contributed a chapter about the aftermath of the Battle of Brandywine to the anthology, The Archaeology of the American Revolution, published by Florida University Press. Currently he serves on the Brandywine Battlefield Park Associates Board of Directors.