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. “Tattoo” is played in the evening signaling that all light in squad rooms should be extinguished and that all loud talking and other disturbances be discontinued within 15 minutes, …
Author Archives: Michael Carver
Which Witch?
The infamous Salem witch trials began during the spring of 1692, after a group of young girls in Salem Village, Massachusetts, claimed to be possessed by the devil and accused several local women of witchcraft. As a wave of hysteria spread throughout colonial Massachusetts, a special court convened in Salem to hear the cases; the …
Mathew Hopkins — Witchfinder General under King James
In James I’s England, the witch became a powerful symbol of those hated forces that opposed the king. During the English Civil War, the “Witchfinder General,” Matthew Hopkins, was responsible for the hanging more than 300 women between 1644 and 1646. James I, linked religious subversion with political subversion, usurpation, and the attack on monarchical …
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The Headless Hessian – Perhaps the Real-Life Inspiration Behind the Legend of Sleepy Hollow
Following defeats in Brooklyn and Manhattan, the American army was forced to flee into Westchester County, New York (AKA Sleepy Hollow) after having been routed by William Howe’s combined British and Hessian forces in New York City. General Howe has sailed a formidable force up the Hudson River and landed several thousand troops behind Washington’s …
Bonhomme Richard Spice Ale
Bonhomme Richard was originally a merchant ship built at L’Orient for the French East India Company in 1765. Her design allowed her to be quickly transformed into a man-of-war in case of necessity to support the navy. She made two voyages to China, the first in 1766 and the second in 1769, was transferred briefly …
The New Guy Fawkes — the real legacy of Donald Trump
On January 6, 2021, following the defeat of U.S. President Donald Trump in the 2020 presidential election, a mob of his supporters attacked the United States Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. The mob sought to keep Trump in power by preventing a joint session of Congress from counting the electoral college votes. While still President …
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Join the Regimental Brewmeister in 2024
People are always welcome to come to my events and if you come in 18th Century kit, you can be part of the program or just hang out in the tent as you see fit. However, if you are truly interested in really learning the process, teaching the public, and being the brewer, you should …
Historical Tidbits — Liberty Bell Commissioned
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 28, 1751 Liberty Bell Commissioned The Liberty Bell started out simply as the bell commissioned by the colonial legislature of Pennsylvania to hang in the steeple of the …
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“Gulliver’s Travels” is first published on October 28th, 1726
Gulliver’s Travels, or Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. In Four Parts. By Lemuel Gulliver, First a Surgeon, and then a Captain of Several Ships is Jonathan Swift’s best known work, and a classic of English literature but the Irish writer and clergyman didn’t write his “traveler’s tale” as a children’s book. Swift …
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Historical Tidbits — Battle of White Plains
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 28, 1776 Battle of White Plains. Pursued by General Howe and his Hessian allies, George Washington retreated from New York following his defeats in Brooklyn and Manhattan. When …
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Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 