Well, Tis the Season when many of you are in a Dickens of a mood so let’s talk about 18th Century debtors in England. Prior to the Bankruptcy Act (1869), missing even a small debt payment could lead to decades of imprisonment. If you are familiar with Charles Dickens’ novel Little Dorrit, originally published as …
Monthly Archives: December 2022
Historical Tidbits — Benjamin Franklin first published Poor Richard’s Almanac
When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. December 19, 1732 – Benjamin Franklin first published Poor Richard’s Almanac. Poor Richard’s Almanack was a yearly almanac published by Benjamin Franklin, who adopted the pseudonym of “Poor Richard” …
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Historical Tidbits — Encampment at Valley Forge
When reenacting or acting as a historical interpreter, its good to have a few historical dates and stories to share. This series will publish a few. December 19, 1777 Encampment at Valley Forge With the campaign season ending and cold weather rapidly approaching, Washington moved his army into winter quarters. For his winter encampment, Washington …
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Could one of our Founding Fathers have been a Jew?
While writing the blog on Chanukah in Colonial America, I came across some lectures and articles by Andrew Porwancher, a professor at the University of Oklahoma, who has an interesting hypothesis. It seems that while researching the early life of Alexander Hamilton, Porwancher uncovered some interesting facts. Alexander Hamilton is the son of Rachel Faucette …
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The American Crisis
The American Crisis, or simply The Crisis, was a pamphlet series by Thomas Paine between December 19, 1776 and April 19, 1783 to “recharge the revolutionary cause” during the American Revolution. Sixteen numbered pamphlets were published between 1776 and 1783 in various newspapers. Paine believed ordinary Americans were more apt to continue under the protection …
Chanukah in Colonial America
What religious story most resonates with the spirit of the American Revolution? Yes, there are many stories in many religions that people overcoming atrocities and oppression. But consider for just a moment the story of Judah Maccabee. In the late 6th century BCE, the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great let the Jews go home after …
Did Jews Participate in the American Revolution? Well here are a few stories. (Francis Salvador)
Francis Salvador owned a large plantation South Carolina’s Ninety-Six District. Salvador soon emerged as a Whig leader. In a time when only men who had accepted Christian oaths were allowed to serve in military and political office, Salvador was the first unconverted Jew to serve in an American legislature. He was elected to the provincial …
Did Jews Participate in the American Revolution? Well here are a few stories. (Levy Solomons)
Since the quartermaster department of the Revolutionary armed forces was primitive and inadequate, the government turned to civilian purveyors for badly needed supplies. Many, if not most, Jewish merchants of that day were purveyors on a large or small scale, offering the government clothing, gunpowder, and lead. Harassed for lack of funds, the authorities took …
Did Jews Participate in the American Revolution? Well here are a few stories. (Haym Salomon)
I am going to conclude this short series with a note on someone I consider to be one of the nation’s unrecognized Founding Fathers for without the sacrifices of Mr. Salomon, the Revolutionary War would have likely ended in New Jersey in 1776 as the Continental Congress ran out of funds to support the army. …
How to Survey Land with 18th Century Tools – Measuring Elevations
Measuring how high a hill rises or whether a field is level involves the following equipment: A Jacobs Staff — a stick or pole with length markings.A set of chaining pins – markers that can be placed in the groundA Gunter’s Chain – a steel chain of 100 links exactly 66 feet longA plane table …
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Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 