A bearskin is a tall fur cap worn as ceremonial headgear of grenadiers. The standard bearskin of the British Foot Guards is 18 inches tall, weighs 1.5 pounds, and is made from the fur of the Canadian black bear. An officer’s bearskin is made from the fur of the Canadian brown bear as the female …
Continue reading “British Soldiers in a FRENCH Hat? Pourquoi?”
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 5, 1770 Boston Massacre In 1767, in an attempt to recoup the considerable treasure expended in the defense of its North American colonies during the French and Indian …
The PCC color guard uniform is in the style of The Commander in Chief’s Guard. These men were hand picked out of the continental regiments to guard Washington, his papers, and his baggage. They were also a fighting unit. At Valley Forge the CIC guard was personally trained by Von Steuben and then detached to …
Continue reading “Sons of the American Revolution — School of the Color Guard”
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 4, 1797 John Adams inaugurated President At the time of the founding of our republic, monarchs led nearly every other nation. Even as democratic systems began to spread, …
Does “Freedom of Speech” mean you can say anything you want about anyone you choose? Our Founding Fathers would certainly not agree! You can, of course, say anything you want but there must be consequences for malicious defamation of individuals and even in revolutionary America libel and slander laws were enforced. There is, however, one …
Continue reading “A Colonial Orator: True Revolution is Fought with Words not Bullets”
Which weighs more, a ton of lead or a tun of feathers? Sounds absurd today but in the 18th Century this is actually a legitimate question. How many feathers can you pack in a 256-gallon cask? A lot more than 2000 pounds! In Colonial America, minding your “P’s and Q’s” isn’t about etiquette, its about …
Continue reading “Basic Colonial Brewing #4 — Minding your “P’s” and “Q’s””
On After witnessing the massive overnight British bombardment of Fort McHenry during the War of 1812, Francis Scott Key composed the lyrics to “The Star-Spangled Banner” in September 1814 but this did not become our national anthem for another 117 years. Even though throughout the 19th century, “The Star-Spangled Banner” was regarded as the national …
Continue reading “The “Star-Spangled Banner” becomes the US national anthem (March 3, 1931)”
Largely self-taught, Banneker was one of the first African Americans to gain distinction in science. His significant accomplishments include the successful prediction of a solar eclipse, publishing his own almanac, and the surveying of Washington, D.C. Banneker spent most of his life on his family’s 100-acre farm outside Baltimore. There, he taught himself astronomy by …
Continue reading “Colonial Market Fair at Benjamin Banneker House”
The American mythology is that George Washington and Marie-Joseph du Motier (Marquis de La Fayette) and the Continental Army defeated Charles Cornwallis (also a Marquess) at Yorktown in October of 1781 and the British immediately surrendered and went home. It’s a nice story but it does not pass the sniff test. Why would Brittan surrender. …
Continue reading “The Critical Role of Spain in the American Revolution”
Where was the final battle of the American Revolutionary War fought? If definitely was not at Yorktown! As humiliating as Cornwallis’ defeat at Yorktown was it did not cripple the British war effort in America. Most of the British Army was in New York where Washington and Rochambeau originally planned to engage them. Losing Cornwallis’ …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 