When Rip wakes up after two decades of sleep, he is unaware of how much the world around him has changed. When Rip arrives in town, the only thing that worries him is the lecture he will receive from Lady "he dreaded meeting his wife" (Irving 86). Rip arrives in town shocked when he finds the image of King George III replaced with George Washington. As Rip travels through the neighborhood he once knew, he becomes confused and unable to understand the current government he currently lives under, so much so that he is baffled when questioned by the townspeople about “Which side did he vote for? » (Irving 89). Although there were still many loyalists at the time of Rips's awakening, "the revolution roused the fire within the American spirit and the people of the city became alive with anticipation of their new government" ( Freeman). Rip now has to adapt to these patriots