In Leeds Joseph Priestley’s home was situated near a brewery. Whenever he walked by the brewery, Priestley observed an unusual phenomenon. He noticed that “fixed air” (carbon dioxide) was released in the process of fermentation and that this new “air” would extinguish burning pieces of wood and then drift to the ground. At home Priestley …
Author Archives: Michael Carver
Historical Tidbits — Signing of the Declaration of Independence
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 2, 1776 – Fifty-five members of the second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to formally sign the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin is oft quoted as having said …
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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 2, 1776 – Fifty-five members of the second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia to formally sign the Declaration of Independence. Benjamin Franklin is oft quoted as having said …
You Still Talk Funny
So, in my guise as “David Rittenhouse” for Historic Philadelphia, I meet all sorts. One prevalent of the query, however, “why, if you are part of British North America do you not speak with an accent?” I find this interesting for two reasons. Firstly, what was the accent in 1770? It clearly was NOT what …
Phlogiston and Fire — The Isolation of Oxygen
In the mid-18th century, the most pressing issue in chemistry and physics was to determine what exactly happens when something burns. The prevailing theory was that flammable materials contained a substance called “phlogiston” (from the Greek word for burn) that was released during combustion. The theory held that when a candle burned, for example, phlogiston …
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You Talk Funny
So, I was in Center City the other day as a pre-revolutionary “loyal subject of the crown” when a group of school kids, who being teenagers know everything…, when one of them starts snarking in a cockney accent that I don’t talk like a Britton. Let’s set the record straight. People from Philadelphia, DON’T speak …
Historical Tidbits — Robbing the First Bank of the United States
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. Robbing the First Bank of the United States In 1789, Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton hammered out a great compromise that would create our nations first federal bank. Under …
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Historical Tidbits — Francis Salvador
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. July 31, 1776 – Francis Salvador became the first Jew to die in combat during the American Revolution in the Ninety-Six district of North Carolina. “Here, Mr. Salvador received …
“Now go away or I shall taunt you a second time!” – The Practice of Dueling
Like many early American customs, dueling was imported from England as a “civilized” means for gentlemen to settle irreconcilable differences. The practice was so ingrained in British culture that in 1777, a group of Irishmen codified dueling practices in a document called the Code Duello. The Code contained 26 specific rules outlining all aspects of …
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The Danger of Populist Leaders who Seek Office Only for Personal Gain – Bacon’s Rebellion
On July 30, 1676, Nathaniel Bacon issued a “Declaration of the People of Virginia”, a list of complaints against the colonial governor, William Berkeley. Berkeley was accused of being corrupt and unjust in his taxation of the people of Virginia, and also chastised for failing to provide colonists protection of the people from certain tribes …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 