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’ …
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 1, 1781Our nation’s first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, was ratified by Congress. Under these articles, Congress is the sole governing body of the national government and all …
I agreed to do a program with the Discovery Channel on Spruce Beer. Before you think this is a great “win” for the Regimental Brewmeister, I thought you might enjoy a synopsis of one of our more interesting conversations (edited for clarity): 2/17 — From the Discovery Channel Producer: “Thanks for taking the time to …
Insurrections often are propagated upon misinformation. So too are the most recent band of domestic terrorist who like to hide behind our most sacred American institutions. In this series, I want to explore the Bill of Rights and why some of the hype and hyperbole thrown around by the extremist is not just wrong but …
During the month of February, the Regimental Brewmeister is trying his hand at producing gin. Yes, this is distilled and NO, you cannot try some but I am finding that gin is incredibly easy to make and easy to make well. https://videopress.com/v/dYaM5Qcj?resizeToParent=true&cover=true&preloadContent=metadata&useAverageColor=true Gin’s core ingredient, juniper, has been combined with alcohol as far back as …
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. February 27, 1776 Battle of Moore’s Creek Bridge The royal governor of North Carolina, Josiah Martin, began to muster the Loyalist militia in order to suppress the unrest including …
