On September 16, 1808, Benjamin Rush, generally considered THE MOST IMPORTANT PHYSICIAN in North America, wrote a long letter to former President John Adams describing a dream in which he had been elected president of the United States. At the beginning of this dream, Rush is reluctant to accept the office; but he then realizes …
Author Archives: Michael Carver
Historical Tidbits — Siege of Savannah
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 16, 1779 Failed Siege of Savannah The Siege of Savannah was also known as the Second Battle of Savannah. The year before, the city had been captured by …
MEXICAN Independence Day
Mexico was a colony of Spain for over 300 years. The native population was oppressed, farmland and personal wealth were confiscated and only Spaniards were allowed to hold political posts. On September 16, 1810, a Catholic priest in the town of Dolores named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church’s bell and delivered a speech …
The Regimental Brewmeister does “Talks” as well as brewing demonstrations.
The Regimental Brewmeister is happy to give talks and lectures at your site to audiences of any size. I ask that you provide appropriate auto visual projection equipment and event promotion. I typically come in 18th Century attire and conduct interactive discussions. While I am happy to consider talks on other subjects, I have delivered …
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Blowing Smoke Up Someone’s Arse‡
Maybe I’m just having a bad day but after several government meetings, the term “Blowing smoke up someone’s ass” has been used way too much. Just to set the record straight, this was not always a simple figure of speech indicating someone was being an insincere flatterer. Tobacco smoke enemas became a mainstream medical practice …
Join the Regimental Brewmeister
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 …
Is This the Way it Was Really Done? My Policies on Historical Accuracy.
Okay, we are not LARPing. I know there are some out there who are gung-ho for the fantasy or mythical reality of the American Revolution but we are trying to teach history so historical accuracy is a must. At my events, I strive to be as accurate as possible with the following caveats: When being …
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What Language is that written in? Understanding 18th Century Handwriting
Several years ago, I was giving tours at Independence Hall when one of the guests approached me outside Congress Hall to ask questions about the Articles of Confederations (BTW, volunteers love to be asked questions, that’s why we do this so don’t hold back. If you ask us a question that we don’t know the …
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The Star-Spangled Banner
On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key pens a titled “The Defence of Fort M’Henry,” after he witnessed the fort being bombarded by the British during the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, as reflected in the now-famous words of the …
Be careful what you wish for: Toasting Superstitions
Okay, I get it. Making a toast is a challenge. You must stand in front of the crowd, think on your feet and come up with something witty. It is fun but scary. Then there is the fact that some people choose not to drink – do we leave them out: of course not! But …
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Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 