This is off topic for me but I often remind my readers that when they frequent businesses and companies that support issues that they find abhorrent, for example Chick-fil-a ACTIVELY discriminates against LBGTQ and non-Christian people (both potential employees and patrons); and GM. UPS, American Airlines, Tyson Foods all made multimillion dollar donations to Donald Trump …
Author Archives: Michael Carver
Cannonball Tavern is March 25
Fort Mifflin Come to Fort Mifflin on March 25th when we transform the Soldier’s Barracks into the Cannonball Tavern, complete with authentic beverages and hearty tavern fare. Enjoy 18th century tavern games, the warm glow of a cozy fire, lively toasting, music and the company of civilians and soldiers of the era. This is a …
The Cordwainer Put Horseshoes on my Shoes
Today we associate cleats on shoes with sporting events (golf, football, etc.). Henry VIII is reported to had the royal cordwainer, Cornelius Johnson, make him a pair of boots “to play football” with oversized and prominent cleats attached to the soles and heels. Despite their ubiquitous presence in the sporting world, shoe cleats have been …
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Where do “Boycotts” Come From?
This is off topic for me but I often remind my readers that when they frequent businesses and companies that support issues that they find abhorrent, for example Chick-fil-a ACTIVELY discriminates against LBGTQ and non-Christian people (both potential employees and patrons); and GM. UPS, American Airlines, Tyson Foods all made multimillion dollar donations to Donald Trump …
2023 Historical Beverage Program
Well here it is, the schedule of programs by the Regimental Brewmeister for 2023. There will be other ad hoc and event based events but these are the big ones. Hope to see you all soon. https://colonialbrewer.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/2023-regimental-brewmeister-schedule.pdf For the full calendar of where to find the Regimental Brewmeister, see the events page.
Basic Colonial Brewing #18 — Proof your Whiskey, Sir
When it comes to arcane historical terms for spirits and other alcohol, proof is one of the frustrating ones. In our modern vernacular, with the blessing of modern analytical chemistry as support, we simply think of “proof” as two times the alcohol by volume (ABV). But why is this measure even a thing? After all, …
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Historical Tidbits — Frigate Randolph Sinks
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. March 7, 1778Frigate Randolph (32 guns) blown up in an engagement at sea The Randolph engaged the British 64-gun ship-of-the-line HMS Yarmouth. Rather than trying to flee from the …
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And Now for Something Completely Different…
In the last decades of the 18th Century, in the south of England, there was a trend It was often referred to as a ‘shift’ or ‘smock’ marriages. These even went so far as to sometimes be puris naturalibus or naked marriages. It seems, in the tradition of Lady Godiva of Mercia, If a woman …
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Benjamin Franklin and the Parable Against Persecution
Ever fond of hoaxes, Franklin memorized the parable and “read” it aloud from Genesis, “proving” the scriptural importance of religious tolerance. One of these parables—commonly referred to as either the Parable against Persecution or as Abraham and the Stranger—is a story about the biblical patriarch Abraham. Although Franklin did not mention the second parable by …
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“Why did you agree to march in that parade?”
So yesterday I choose to march in a St Patrick’s Day parade in Gloucester City (NJ). No, it’s not my holiday. I am neither Irish nor Catholic and, in fact, I marched in orange, not in deference the Ulsters but rather in my 43rd Regimental as a British soldier. As I was preparing to go, …
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