The word stein is a shortened form of Steinzeugkrug, which literally means a stoneware jug or tankard. By common usage, however, stein has come to mean any beer container regardless of its material or size. The English will call these tankards. Both vessels come with and without lids, handles, or ornamentation. The tankard or beer …
Author Archives: Michael Carver
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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Hayim Solomon’s personal reward for his services to the Continental Army
On the rear of the One Dollar bill, you will see two circles. Together, they comprise the Great Seal of the United States. In 1775, the First Continental Congress requested that Benjamin Franklin and a group of men come up with a Seal. It took them four years to accomplish this task and another two …
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Let’s Talk about Punch Bowls
Most of us grew up associating Punch Bowls with a huge, overly ornate bowl, often bucket sized, that our parents or grandparents kept on a sideboard and only used for fancy parties. In the 18th Century, that punchbowl would have seen much more use. According to legend, punch was introduced to England in the early-to mid-17th century …
Supplying the Army with Muskets – The birth of Mass Production in America
“A good musket is a complicated engine and difficult to make — difficult of execution because the conformation of most of its parts correspond with no regular geometrical figure.” – Eli Whitney We all know Eli Whitney for his invention of the Cotton Gin but it was his contribution to industrial engineering and the manufacture …
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John Jay Appointed 1st US Chief Justice
After the Constitution was ratified, President Washington needed to make several political appointments. In September 1789, he offered John Jay the position of Secretary of State. Though a new title, it would’ve been the same duties he was already performing as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Jay turned down the offer. Still eager to put Jay …
Historical Tidbits — Surrender at Yorktown
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 19, 1780 Cornwallis surrenders at Yorktown In April 1781 British General Lord Cornwallis led his weary and battered troops toward the Virginia coast, where he could maintain seaborne …
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Support your Regimental Brewmeister — Buy a Book
I have a new shipment of books and while you can order Beers and Beer Stories by the Regimental Brewmeister and The Fort Mifflin Bartenders’ Guide Book: A View into Colonial Era Spirits and Cocktails from Amazon, why not come to an event and take a copy home with you. These books are my research …
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Historical Tidbits — Falmouth Burnt
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 18, 1775 Falmouth Burnt. After the march on Lexington, the British in Boston were cut off from the land and their only means of supplies was by sea. …
The Scourge of Slavery (#3c) — Penal Transportation
Banishment or forced exile has been used as a punishment since at least the 5th century BCE but the British Empire turned it into an industry during the 18th and 19th centuries. Penal transportation was the relocation of convicted criminals and other undesirable people (chiefly the poor) to a distant colony for incarceration. Transportation was …
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Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 