Here in Philadelphia, we like to celebrate Molly Pitcher for her taking up arms against the British in 1778 but Paul Pitcher is also interesting. No, Paul was not Molly’s husband but none other than the Christian apostle “Paul” and Paul Pitcher Day is a Cornish celebration of the discovery of smelting (turning ore into …
Monthly Archives: January 2025
So You Think RENEWABLE Energy is a New Thing?
When George Washington was elected president in 1790, he chose Alexander Hamilton to be the first Secretary of the Treasury. Hamilton served in this capacity until 1795 and during this time he set our modern banking system, establishing the federal budget process, and established the Bank of the United States. At the time, there were …
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Historical Tidbits — Louis XVI Guillotined
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 21, 1793 Louis XVI Guillotined In October 1789, a mob marched on Versailles and forced the royal couple to move to Tuileries; in June 1791, opposition to the …
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Why the US Capitol is in Washington DC and Washington DC is not one of the US States.
The American Revolutionary War, officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris in September of 1783 but most of the fighting ended with the Siege of Yorktown in October of 1781. Because of the treaty negotiations, the Continental Army did not fully disband until 1783. Army service does not pay well and in …
Basic Colonial Brewing #2 — Brewing in the 18th Century
Beer was once considered the most health drink to give to children and vital to survival. To understand this, you must first understand that centuries of dense urban living had left the water in Europe unsafe to drink. People of the 18th Century did not understand why but they did observe that people who drank …
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Historical Tidbits — Pompton Mutiny
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 20, 1781 Pompton Mutiny — revolt of New Jersey troops On January 20, about 200-300 of the soldiers at Pompton mutinied. According to eyewitness accounts, they were also …
A Short History of Mapmaking in the Americas
Maps of land surfaces and charts of the sea coasts are scaled down representations of the earth’s surface. They are ideal documents to prove that a discovery has taken place and provide the means for the exploration to be repeated by others. They are tremendous assets to the military and are a great aid to …
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The Health Benefits of Beer
So, I went to this lecture at a synagogue downtown (Rodeph Shalom) and the rabbi pulled a dozen or so Talmudic[i] references on beer and brewing for the group to consider. Now I will not bore my non-Jewish readers with the esoterica of rabbinic debate but the selection we discussed was who follow this blog …
Historical Tidbits — Battle of Golden Hill
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. The Battle of Golden Hill was a clash between British soldiers and the Sons of Liberty in the American colonies that occurred on January 19, 1770, in New York City. Along with the Boston Massacre and the Gaspée Affair, the event …
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Making Gunpowder
Gunpowder that was of vital to the success of the American soldiers in the American Revolution. Bunker Hill was lost not because of overwhelming British superiority but rather because the militia entrenched on Breeds Hill ran out of ammunition. In all of England, including the colonies, making black powder was legally a Crown monopoly. While …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 