One of the fundamental problems with the Continental Army was that the State Legislatures were reluctant to establish a European-style professional army with long-term enlistments for fear of a strong military leader seizing the government. Without a professional attitude, soldiers were much more likely to be casual about remaining in ranks for the full term …
Author Archives: Michael Carver
How Did Americans Actually Transfer Money To France For The Louisiana Purchase?
Closing on a real estate deal is a lot of paperwork and promissory notes. Even if you pay “cash,” no one (except perhaps a mafia boss) will accept a suitcase filled with several hundred thousand dollars in cash. It’s just too easy to counterfeit. So, how did James Monroe and Robert Livingston, who concluded a …
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Colonial Spymaster will be in Princeton
September 15, 202410 AM – 4 PMPrinceton Battlefield500 Mercer StreetPrinceton, NJ 08540 Going into the Revolution, Americans were at a huge disadvantage to the European powers when it came to spy-craft and cryptography. The British and French employed master spies who had the benefit of centuries of experience in coding and deciphering secret communication between public officials. …
Historical Tidbits — Battle of Eutaw
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. September 8, 1780 Battle of Eutaw After receiving reinforcements, Major General Nathanael Greene of the Continental Army resumes offensive action against Lieutenant Colonel Alexander Stewart and the British soldiers …
America’s First PLANNED City
Having witnessed plague in London in 1665 and the famously calamitous fire of 1666, Penn wanted his Philadelphia to be ‘a greene countrie towne, which will never be burnt, and allways be wholsome.’ The way he proposed to achieve this was by planning the city so that it was ordered and regulated. Orderly space, Penn …
UPCOMING EVENT — A Talk on Colonial Brewing
Readington Museums 114 Dreahook Road Lebanon, NJSeptember 8, 202410:00 am This program will be a little different from our ordinary brewing demos. I am going to not start a fire and we have plenty of beer that has been previously brewed. I am going to give a talk and go deep on some of the significant differences …
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A Tavern Night at the Morgan Log House
September 21, 20244:00 pmMorgan Log House 850 Weikel Rd Lansdale, PA 19446 Public houses and taverns played an integral role in the commercial life of the American Colonies. They weren’t simply places to drink. They were a place to meet like-minded individuals, meeting places at which to conduct business, and clearinghouses for news about both …
The Beginning of Submarine Warfare — September 7, 1776
During the Revolutionary War, the American submersible craft Turtle attempted to attach a time bomb to the hull of British Admiral Richard Howe’s flagship Eagle in New York Harbor. It was the first use of a submarine in warfare. The Continental Army out armed, outmanned, and outmatched by the British at almost every angle. This …
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“Uncle Sam” and “G.I.” were Appropriated Terms for Ordinary Things.
Samuel Wilson, a meat packer in Troy, New York, supplied barrels of beef to the United States Army during the War of 1812. To segregate barrels that were shipped to the Army from those he shipped to his other customers, he stamped the barrels with “U.S.” for United States. Soldiers receiving the shipments began referring …
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Don’t vote for a KNOWN Terrorist!
Okay, this is a rant. If that offends you, delete this email or skip this blog article. It is unfortunately, election season and I have some tags left. <<< === Good Hunting! Donald Trump is a Terrorist! Terrorism has been described generally as the use of violence, or the threat of violence, to accomplish a political, religious, …
