A Master of Disguise — Sarah Fulton As a member of the Daughters of Liberty, Sarah Fulton became involved in protests and the planning of the Boston Tea Party. Sarah is credited with disguising the Sons of Liberty as Native Americans. After the protest, the men returned to Fulton’s home, where she helped remove face …
Continue reading “Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#4)”
Actually, tradition calls for us to fold the flag into the shape of a tri-cornered hat, the kind worn by George Washington and other soldiers who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. While the troops carried a variety of flags during that war, the tradition of folding the flag in the manner …
Continue reading “Why Do We Fold the American Flag into a Triangle?”
I will be in Independence National Park all day on June 1st, 13th, 15th, 19th and 27th as part of the “Once upon a Nation” program run by Historic Philadelphia. I am portraying David Rittenhouse and will be happy to discuss Solar observations in the 18th Century, the US Mint, and any other revolutionary issues you …
Is There a Meaning Behind Each Fold of the American Flag? Well, that depends… For more than 200 years, the American flag has been the symbol of our nation’s unity, as well as a source of pride and inspiration for millions of citizens. Born on June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress determined that the …
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Nothing is quite so awe inspiring as to be on a military installation when Call to Colors is played. EVERTYHING STOPS! EVERYONE turns to the colors and most people salute. This event happens twice each day to remind us of WHY we are there. We are there not for some political agenda in Washington, not …
There simply is no credible historical evidence — letters, diaries, newspaper accounts, bills of sale — that Betsy Ross, then known as Elizabeth Claypoole, either made or had a hand in designing the American flag in 1777. That said, her story is a very tenacious piece of fiction and popular American Myth that is constantly …
Continue reading “Betsy Ross DID NOT make the First Flag of the United States”
On flag day, we should address the elephant in the room. Some of these elephants get really upset when our national symbol is publicly burned. They are fools! When our flag is retired, it should be cremated. Yes – burned; never thrown out like garbage. Sure, its just a piece of cloth but this simple …
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 14, 1775 – The Second Continental Congress creates the Continental Army. Six companies of riflemen are then dispatched to Boston. When the American Revolutionary War broke out in …
Continue reading “Historical Tidbits — Creation of Continental Army”
In June, 1791, a private turnpike company was formed ‘for making an artificial road from the City of Philadelphia to the Borough of Lancaster’ — a distance of sixty-six miles. It was the first stone paved turnpike of substantial length in the country, and the most costly and ambitious public works project undertaken up to …
Timothy Matlack (March 28, 1736 – April 14, 1829) was a brewer and beer bottler who emerged as a popular and powerful leader in the American Revolutionary War, Secretary of Pennsylvania during the war, and a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in 1780. He became one of Pennsylvania’s most provocative and influential political figures, …
Continue reading “A Gentleman, Scholar, Soldier and a BREWER!”
