The provision on suffrage in the New Jersey state constitution of 1776 granted the right to vote to “all inhabitants” who were of legal age, owned property worth 50 English pounds, and resided in a county for at least one year. No one is sure what was meant by “all inhabitants” since the New Jersey constitutional convention …
Author Archives: Michael Carver
A New “Red Scare”
Yes, now you know how old I am. When I was in grade school we used to “duck and cover” to protect ourselves from overpressure of a nuclear war. Clearly it would be better to die a slow horrible death due to radiation poisoning than a quick obliteration but that was the “Red Scare” of …
Another Casualty of COVID-19
I just got a call from Randell Spankman with “news.” It seems that the City Tavern has permanently closed. For over 26 years, Chef Staub has delighted us with not only culinary treasures from the 18th Century but also history. Today is a sad day for anyone who enjoys a little food, drink, and talk …
The Electoral College is Not an Evil Institution!
There is a lot of discussion today about the Electoral College and the seemingly inefficient nature of our county’s approach to electing its president. After all, the compromises that led to creation of this body are responsible for four of our nation’s worst presidents being put in office without winning the popular vote. Donald J. …
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Who Voted in Early America?
After declaring independence on July 4, 1776, each former English colony wrote a state constitution. About half the states attempted to reform their voting procedures. The trend in these states was to do away with the freehold requirement (holding title to property) in favor of granting all taxpaying, free, adult males the right to vote. Since …
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. October 27, 1795 – PINCKNEY’S TREATY established the border between Spanish Florida and the United States, an issue that had been in dispute at the time of the Treaty …
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. October 27, 1787 – The first of 85 Federalist Papers would be published. These essays, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, presented the argument for abandoning …
Building Community Engagement and Teaching
For the last twelve years of so, I have been involved in various organizations[1] around Philadelphia whose mission is to teach various aspects of the history of the American Revolution (1765 – 1790) to the general public through interactive, living history presentations. Our goal is to transform history from dry facts in a history book …
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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. October 26, 1774 – The First Continental Congress convenes at Carpenters Hall in Philadelphia to discuss how to best respond to a series of taxes and governmental usurpations enacted …
Bonhomme Richard Spice Ale
Bonhomme Richard was originally a merchant ship built at L’Orient for the French East India Company in 1765. Her design allowed her to be quickly transformed into a man-of-war in case of necessity to support the navy. She made two voyages to China, the first in 1766 and the second in 1769, was transferred briefly …
