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. July 31, 1776 – Francis Salvador became the first Jew to die in combat during the American Revolution in the Ninety-Six district of North Carolina. “Here, Mr. Salvador received …
Monthly Archives: July 2023
Basic Colonial Brewing #14 — Period Correct ways to get Yeast
I know Reinheitsgebot permits only water, hops, and malt as ingredients in beer but if you want to make beer, mead, cider or any other alcoholic brew, you need to add yeast. In the 21st Century, many homebrewers just rip open an envelope of dried yeast from the local homebrew shop and add it to …
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The Danger of Populist Leaders who Seek Office Only for Personal Gain – Bacon’s Rebellion
On July 30, 1676, Nathaniel Bacon issued a “Declaration of the People of Virginia”, a list of complaints against the colonial governor, William Berkeley. Berkeley was accused of being corrupt and unjust in his taxation of the people of Virginia, and also chastised for failing to provide colonists protection of the people from certain tribes …
Historical Tidbits — Faneuil Hall erected
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. July 30, 1742 Faneuil Hall erected Built as a gift to the city by Peter Faneuil, Boston’s wealthiest merchant, Faneuil Hall is a meeting hall and marketplace. Boston was in …
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US Marines in the American Revolution — Assault on Penobscot
28 July 1779 In spring of 1779 the British commander-in-chief in North America, General Sir Henry Clinton, directed that a strong outpost be established on the tip of the Bagaduce Peninsula in Penobscot Bay, Maine. Brigadier General Francis McLean, military commander of Nova Scotia, led 700 troops of the 74th Foot (Argyle Highlanders) and 82d …
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Historical Tidbits — The @ Symbol
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. Notes on the Origin of the @ Symbol The modern and now ubiquitous use of the @ in email addresses lends us to assume this is a modern symbol. …
Historical Tidbits — Americans defeated at Penobscot
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. July 28, 1779 Americans defeated at Penobscot The British sent about 700 men aboard three small warships to land in Penobscot Bay. They intended to establish the province of …
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Congress establishes the State Department, July 27, 1789
The Constitution of the United States, drafted in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787 and ratified by the states the following year, gave the President responsibility for the conduct of the nation’s foreign relations. It soon became clear, however, that additional resources and formal structures were necessary to support President Washington in the conduct of …
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The Regimental Brewmeister Needs an Assistant (or three)
Wow, the presentation at Washington’s Crossing on July 4 was both very rewarding and too much for any one person to handle alone. I really love doing these programs and I am getting more and more calls from worthy organizations to come and present the Colonial Brewer but I need help. I’m reaching out try …
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The Yeast Ring
This year, I am adding a somewhat archaic bit of brewing equipment to the gear brought out by the Regimental Brewmiester. The yeast ring or gjarkrans is a piece of traditional brewing gear from medieval Sweden and Denmark. This tool resembles a complicated wreath of small pieces of whittled wood. Yeast harvested from one batch …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 