October 17, 1778, General Charles Cornwallis raised a flag of truce over the fortifications at Yorktown after having suffered not only the combined French and American attack but also disease, lack of supplies, inclement weather, and a failed evacuation. With the French navy in the York River and siege lines advancing on his position, defeat …
Author Archives: Michael Carver
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. May 29, 1787 – At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the Virginia Plan calling for a bicameral legislature, an executive, and a judiciary branch of government was proposed by …
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. May 29, 1790 — Rhode Island became the last of the 13 States to ratify the US Constitution. Rhode Island became the 13th state to enter the Union after …
Colonial Surveyor – Determining your Position using Celestial Navigation
A sextant is an intimidating complex instrument. It consists of an A-shaped frame with an apex of 60° on a sextant or 45° on an octant. Along the rounded lower edge of the frame is an arc, the limb, that is marked with numbers for the degree of the angles that the sextant can measure. An index …
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Vector Computations without the Benefit of Modern Trigonometry
Navigating from point to point is a relatively simple task for most surveyors or mariners. You establish a compass bearing from where you are to your intended location then measure out the distance (or in the case of sailing a speed and a time) to the new location giving what we call today a vector. …
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Government Red Tape
Today, “Red Tape” is a derisive term for rigid conformity to formal government regulations that slow or prevent action and decision-making. Usually applied to government and corporate bureaucracies, we associate “red tape” with filling out of seemingly unnecessary paperwork and various low-level rules that make conducting one’s affairs slower and more difficult. It may surprise …
Will Work for Beer?
Do you want to be on the crew of the Regimental Brewmeister? Do you like talking to the public and teaching them about the 18th Century? If so I need your help. As the pandemic (slowly) ebbs, there are many locations that have asked for Colonial Brewing demonstrations but like you, I have a day …
Will Work for Beer?
Do you want to be on the crew of the Regimental Brewmeister? Do you like talking to the public and teaching them about the 18th Century? If so I need your help. As the pandemic (slowly) ebbs, there are many locations that have asked for Colonial Brewing demonstrations but like you, I have a day …
Jewish Pirates in Jamaica
Under Muslim rule in Spain, Jews were largely protected from persecution. This led to an explosion of Jewish culture and learning in Iberia and a very prosperous merchant class. With the Reconquista and the expulsion of the Moors from Spain, many Jews began fleeing from Spain because of the persecution of the Spanish Inquisition and, …
Strike the Pose…!
Okay, I’m very much a proponent of protecting copyrights and intellectual property but this is WAY OVER THE LINE. Perhaps Vogue should be sued by Cornwall for usurping the centuries old name of this hamlet. https://www.cornwalllive.com/news/cornwall-news/vogue-magazine-threatens-sue-cornish-7072632?utm_source=join1440&utm_medium=email&utm_placement=newsletter Never allow corporations to push the publicans around less you have no more publicans and only corporate “best interests.”
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 