Historical Tidbits — John Adams DEFENDS Boston Massacre Soldiers

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 17, 1770John Adams DEFENDS the soldiers accused of murder as a result of the Boston Massacre Although a devout patriot, John Adams agreed to risk his family’s livelihood …

Historical Tidbits — Surrender at Saratoga

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 17, 1777              Surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga In the summer of 1777, General Burgoyne led an army of 8,000 men south through New York in an effort to …

Doctor Heal Thyself — 18th Century Medicine Gone Wrong

John Hunter Gave Himself Gonorrhea and Syphilis John Hunter was a renowned 18th-century surgeon in London and eventually become the most famous physician in all of England. Hunter made enormous contributions to anatomy and embryology through the dissection of cadavers pilfered by the professional grave robbers known as resurrection men.  This knowledge of anatomy allowed …

Benedict Arnold American Wild Ale

Do you consider Benedict Arnold a brilliant general or an evil traitor?  Despite what you may have learned in school, the answer to this question is far from simple and highly political.   Blessed with almost superhuman energy and endurance, handsome and charismatic, he was a successful apothecary and a seagoing merchant before the war.  Unfortunately, …

US Marines in the American Revolution — Defeat on Lake Champlain

13 October 1776 In the fall of 1776, the American Revolution appeared doomed to the ignominious fate of a suppressed insurrection. The invasion of Canada had collapsed with the assault on Quebec, where General Richard Montgomery was slain, and the ocher colonial commander, Benedict Arnold, severely wounded, was forced to flee southward with his men. …

Historical Tidbits — Birth of U S Navy

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 13, 1775 — The acquisition of a fleet of ships that would become the United States Navy was authorized by an act of the Second Continental Congress. The …