The sector and the related proportional compasses (proportional dividers) were developed in the second half of the 16th century. There are several inventors, most of them from Italy but most people attribute its development to Galileo Galilei. The sector consists of two arms connected by a pivot joint. For example, linear, trigonometric, and logarithmic scales …
Continue reading “How to Survey Land with 18th Century Tools — Using the Sector”
In Francis Grose’s A Classical Dictionary of the Vulgar Tongue, first published in 1785, I found an entry that I have adopted as the moniker for my tavern impression — The Admiral of the Blue Apron. The ADMIRAL OF THE BLUE, is a publican wearing a blue apron, as was formerly the custom among gentlemen …
Round 4 — Socialism Well folks, this is an election year. This guarantees we will disagree on many things but please heed this bit of advice – wear boots! The Republican Party likes to claim that they are “originalist” and that they know the intentions that the Founding Fathers had when they penned the US …
“We the People of the United States” is perhaps the most famous phrase in the Constitution – and it wasn’t penned by James Madison like the most of the Constitution. We owe this enigmatic phrase to an equally enigmatic delegate to the Constitutional Convention — Gouverneur Morris, the author of the Preamble to the US Constitution. …
A cocktail is an alcoholic drink that combines one or more spirits with other ingredients, such as bitters, juices, syrups, or tonic water. Concocting one can be as simple as blending gin and tonic water over ice and adding a wedge of lime, or it can be a splashier, more involved affair, such as the Ale Flip. The …
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. January 14, 1784 – Congress formally accepts the terms of the Treaty of Paris, ending American participation in the Revolutionary War. George III will not sign this treaty for …
There is a lot of talk during the current pandemic about healthcare and hospitals. All during the political campaigns of let last dozen or so years, we have argued and fought over how we should manage and administer healthcare in our country. Lots of ink has been spilled on the merits and problems of public …
Round 3 — Government Regulation and the Free Market Well folks, this is an election year. This guarantees we will disagree on many things but please heed this bit of advice – wear boots! The Republican Party likes to claim that they are “originalist” and that they know the intentions that the Founding Fathers had …
The blacksmith is a craftsman who fabricates objects out of iron by hot and cold forging on an anvil. The blacksmith’s essential equipment consists of a forge, an open furnace for heating metal ore and metal for working and forming. in which smelted iron is heated so that it can be worked easily; an anvil, …
Round 2 — Lower Taxes Republicans tout that the want less government and lower taxes and they are willing to cut a few social programs and even essential services like in order to lower taxes, but so be it. They argue that we should put our trust in people, not in government pushing issues of …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 