Summer 1782 As Rogers Clark was faced with the monumental task of maintaining military control over the Ohio River valley. With few men at his disposal, he decided to construct an armed row galley for use in securing the navigation of the Ohio, particularly at the mouths of the Miami River and Licking Creek. By …
Continue reading “US Marines in the American Revolution — Ohio River Row Galley”
We all know about Saturn’s rings. They were first observed by Galileo in 1610 but what about the planet itself. Turns out most of the focus of early astronomers (indeed even modern astronomers) has been on the rings but take a look at this letter in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London …
The encampment of Continental Army at Valley Forge (12/19/1777 — 6/19/1778) is known as the time of the greatest suffering. By the end of the encampment, almost a forth of the original army had died of disease, exposure, and privation. The food was said to have been both bad and infrequent. Even though food was …
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. June 5, 1767 The New York Restraining Act — forbade the New York Assembly and the governor of New York from passing any new bills until they agreed to …
Continue reading “Historical Tidbits — New York Restraining Act”
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. June 4, 1738 – King George III is born. He will rule England from 1760 to 1820. George III (Georg Wilhelm Friedrich) was born on 4 June 1738 in …
Continue reading “Historical Tidbits — King George III ‘s Birthday”
I was asked this morning (yes, short notice) to present as the Regimental Brewmeister at today’s Khyber Pass Beer Week event. This event is showcasing British & American beer and I will be there to discuss 18th Century beer and generally liven up the party & talk about beer. Please come out. Khyber Pass Pub …
In June 3, 1769, after months of planning, the skies that had been cloudy for several days cleared over East Norriton, Pennsylvania. David Rittenhouse waited nervously for the moment when Venus would briefly become visible as it passed across the sun. This transit was an extremely rare event and according to computations by Edmund Halley, …
Continue reading “And then he fainted just before the whole spectacle began”
Once you have wort, its time to actually “brew” (from the Dutch brouwen: to bubble or effervesce) the beer. I hope by now you realize that a lot more work goes into preparing to brew than actually brewing the beer. When I do demonstrations, someone always remarks that brewing takes a long time but in …
Continue reading “Basic Colonial Brewing #10 –Making the Brew”
A bounce is a drink made with a mixture of alcohol and sweetened cherry juice. The earliest reference for such a drink is 1693 where it was referenced in W. Robertson’s Phraseologia Generalis as a “mingled drink” called cherrybouncer. Sometimes cherry brandy (Kirsch) was also called bounce as the two beverages are very similar. The …
Continue reading “Man does not live on beer alone — Cherry Bounce”
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. June 2, 1774 – QUARTERING ACT made provisions for British troops to be given food and shelter at the expense of the American colonies, especially Massachusetts where a large …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 