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 …
Author Archives: Michael Carver
The original “Doctor Death”
During the 1700’s, executions in France were public events where entire towns gathered to watch. A common execution method for a poor criminal was quartering, where the prisoner’s limbs were tied to four oxen, then the animals were driven in four different directions ripping the person apart. Upper-class criminals could buy their way into a …
Hire the Regimental Brewmeister in 2025
I am still actively planning events for 2025. If you want to book the Regimental Brewmeister, please contact me soon so I can block the calendar. I already have dates reserved for certain sites and my schedule fills quickly. If there is a date that you want to secure as a tentative booking, please do …
Soldiers at “Rest”
Only a tiny fraction of any soldier’s time was spent in combat. The vast majority of the time, the army was in camp. Camp life was exactly a time of rest and idleness. Uniforms and arms required daily attention, food had to be cooked, firewood collected, shelters built and the near endless work that caring …
Historical Tidbits — Revolt of Pennsylvania Line
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. January 1, 1781 Revolt of Pennsylvania Line On January 1, 1781, the Pennsylvania Line held a raucous New Year’s Day celebration. That evening, soldiers from several regiments armed themselves …
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How to Survey Land with 18th Century Tools — Using the Gunter’s Rule
Using the Gunter’s Rule So how was multiplication done in the 18th Century. Sure, you could and people did do long-hand multiplication just like you were taught in elementary school. For example, we can multiply 384×56. The number with more digits is usually selected as the multiplicand: The long multiplication algorithm starts with multiplying the …
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Historical Tidbits — Mum’s the Word.
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. Consider the common phrase “Mums the Word.” “Mum” in this context has nothing to do with your mother. The phrase is generally considered to mean: telling someone to keep …
Did Jews Participate in the American Revolution? Well here are a few stories. (Jewish Pirates)
When the Spanish expelled the Jews in 1482, many came to the “New World” is search of freedom and safety. Not surprising, many turned to piracy as both a means of income and as retribution for their mistreatment in Spain. Similarly, many Jews, already heavily involved in shipping and trade, began to arm merchant ships …
Historical Tidbits — Savannah taken by the British
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. December 29, 1778 Savannah taken by the British In 1778, British policymakers and strategists decided to refocus their efforts on the southern colonies, where they believed the crown would …
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Did Jews Participate in the American Revolution? Well here are a few stories. (Moses Franks)
In 1776, as Washington was preparing in Boston to move against New York, the general requested Congress to send him $250,000 in hard coin to pay the militia whose term of service had expired. Washington’s problem was not to raise the money, but to transport it to Boston past hostile Tories. Shipping the specie by …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 