All spying tools and techniques have little worth unless you have a reliable source of information. A great deal of useful information can be acquired passive observation. Troop counts and movements, rumors, and observations of the comings and goings in the enemy camp can give you insights on what they plan to do but the …
Continue reading “Colonial Spymaster (#15) — Exploiting Potential Turncoats”
We applaud George Washington for his decision to end his presidency after two terms. The peaceful transition of power is the hallmark of American History and with only one exception, every president has chosen to follow Washington’s lead. George Washington helped unify the new nation and was a leading force behind the ratification of the …
At the confluence of the Harlem and East Rivers is a narrow tidal channel – the Hell Gate. On the map, this looks like an ideal waterway between the Long Island Sound and Manhattan but Its fast currents change multiple times a day and it used to be riddled with rocks just beneath the surface …
Continue reading “National Treasure — Lost Gold at the Bottom of the Hell’s Gate”
On May 17, 1785, Jefferson became the United States’ second-ever minister to France, succeeding the equally-famous Benjamin Franklin. As his nation’s top diplomat in Paris, he met many of France’s top leaders and thinkers, including Georges-Louis Leclerc, Comte de Buffon, a well-regarded naturalist. Buffon, like many European elites at the time, believed that Europe was …
Continue reading “Thomas Jefferson was Obsessed with Getting a Moose Shipped to Europe”
Spies sometimes need to transport things in secret through enemy territory. Simply refusing to comply with searches at border crossings or military checkpoints will immediately raise suspicion to they must find a way to allow themselves to be searched while keeping the messages or other contraband safe. To accomplish this, they often employ the smugglers’ …
Continue reading “Colonial Spymaster (#14) — Hidden Compartments”
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. October 4, 1777 Battle of Germantown After taking the American capital, British General Sir William Howe positioned two brigades and a contingent of Hessians troops in Germantown. Much like …
Continue reading “Historical Tidbits — Battle of Germantown”
If you make your tent out of ordinary “canvas” you are going to get wet in the rain. Canvas is a stout cloth, probably named after cannabis (Latin: “hemp”), made by tightly weaving material, mostly cotton, wool, and linen. This definition has not been that precise forever since the word canvas has come to signify …
Continue reading “Every Wonder Why We Call it a “Duffle” Bag?”
Sometimes the most interesting things are the things you learn by accident. So, I did my normal Spymaster program at Princeton on September 12, 2021 and in this program, I demonstrate invisible inks. My invisible ink (for cost and safety constraints) is a Na2HCO3 (baking soda) and turmeric reaction. Unfortunately, when the people who graciously …
A common procedure used by spies to pass information to their contacts is through the use of a “dead drop.” The spy places the message in a prearranged unattended location, often hidden, and leaves it. Later, his or her compatriot will come and collect the message. Using a “dead drop” means that the spy and …
In many parts of the British Empire the economy was dependent upon the brutal institution of chattel slavery. In America at the time of the Revolutionary War roughly one-fifth of the population of those colonies that would eventually separate from the tyranny of the King were themselves denied their own “unalienable” right to liberty. This lead …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 