“Air and Exercise” = being whipped with a Cat-o-Nine-Tails. Prior to the arrival of Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, American officers often imitated their British peers. In a rather startling example, George Washington once lobbied congress for permission to allow 500 lashes — “Air and Exercise”– as punishment to maintain discipline the Continental soldiers! Congress …
Continue reading “Beer Recipe: Air and Exercise — Rattleskull”
We recently held a brewing class at Fort Mifflin and one question was asked that deserves clarification in this blog: “How were beers of the 18th Century different from what we drink today?” I hope the table below adds some clarification. Colonial Beers vs Modern Beers: Key Differences Colonial BeerModern BeerMaltMixture of malted grains including …
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 16, 1780 Battle of Guilford Courthouse The Battle of Guilford Court House was fought at a site which is now in Greensboro, North Carolina. A 2,100-man British …
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Add excitement and authentic color to your special event, or create one for your site, with Philadelphia’s best Colonial Brewer and tradesman. Whether it is a reenactment, motion picture, a tavern night for a private event, or other endeavor, I can bring can bring a real sense of authenticity and fun to your event and …
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The Regimental Brewmeister is happy to give talks and lectures at your site to audiences of any size. I ask that you provide appropriate auto visual projection equipment and event promotion. I typically come in 18th Century attire and conduct interactive discussions. While I am happy to consider talks on other subjects, I have delivered …
Continue reading “The Regimental Brewmeister does “Talks” as well as brewing demonstrations.”
People are always welcome to come to my events and if you come in 18th Century kit, you can be part of the program or just hang out in the tent as you see fit. However, if you are truly interested in really learning the process, teaching the public, and being the brewer, you should …
Pi (often represented by the lower-case Greek letter π), one of the most well-known mathematical constants, is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. For any circle, the distance around the edge is a little more than three times the distance across. Pi has interested people around the world for over 4,000 years. …
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 15, 1783 Newburgh Address General George Washington, having learned that his officers planned to meet to discuss a fiery petition to mutiny if Congress failed to provide them …
In 1794, U.S.-born inventor Eli Whitney patented the cotton gin, a machine that revolutionized the production of cotton by greatly speeding up the process of removing seeds from cotton fiber. By the mid-19th century, cotton had become America’s leading export. Despite its success, the gin made little money for Whitney due to patent-infringement issues. Also, …
Continue reading “Eli Whitney Patented the Cotton Gin on March 14, 1794”
In March 1812, the Boston Gazette ran a political cartoon depicting “a new species of monster”: “The Gerry-mander.” The forked-tongue creature was shaped like a contorted Massachusetts voting district that the state’s Jeffersonian Republicans had drawn to benefit their own party. Governor (and future vice president) Elbridge Gerry signed off on his party’s redistricting plan …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 