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 1, 1764 — Currency Act The colonies suffered a constant shortage of currency with which to conduct trade. There were no gold or silver mines and currency could …
Author Archives: Michael Carver
The Pennsylvania Turnpike — 1791
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 …
Basic Colonial Brewing #16 — Making Sense of the Beer Menu
I am going to deviate from my normal focus on the 18th Century to discuss some brewing terminology that seems to be confusing people in craft brew pubs. The other day, my wife and I visited a brewery and her questions about the beer menu prompted me to clarify some jargon that are too often …
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Historical Tidbits
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. August 31, 1786 – SHAY’S REBELLION: Enraged by high debts and Massachusetts increased efforts to collect taxes, Captain Daniel Shay (Continental Army) led an armed mob to disrupt the …
“New Wales?”
Pennsylvania isn’t named after William Penn. And if you’re confused, he deliberately wanted you to be. William Penn preferred the name “New Wales” for Pennsylvania to avoid the appearance that the commonwealth was named after him. It’s pretty to think that Pennsylvania was named after its founder, William Penn, who started the commonwealth as a …
Historical Tidbits
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. August 27, 1776 – BATTLE OF BROOKLYN – Following the evacuation of Boston by the British, General Washington relocated the Continental Army to New York City. The British landed …
Historical Tidbits
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. August 27, 1776 Battle of Long Island After the British evacuation from Boston in March, the British general Lord William Howe moved to occupy New York City under the …
The First Steamboat Sailed on the Delaware
The era of the steamboat began in America in 1787 when John Fitch made the first successful trial of a forty-five-foot steamboat on the Delaware River on August 22, 1787, in the presence of members of the Constitutional Convention. Fitch later built a larger vessel that carried passengers and freight between Philadelphia and Burlington, New Jersey. …
Continue reading “The First Steamboat Sailed on the Delaware”
Historical Tidbits
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. August 26, 1776 British take possession of New York City Having defeated the Continental Army on Long Island and pursuing them into upstate New York, General Howe established a …
Dying at Battle Reenactments
I was recently taken aback by one of the reenactors at an event (who did not participate in the skirmish) told people in the crowd that portrayal was not realistic “because reenactors refuse to die in the mud….” Okay yeah, nobody wants to fall in the mud and then have to clean up afterwards. We …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 