The ULITMATE Role Model for the Regimental Brewmeister — Arthur Guinness

Arthur Guinness was born on September 28, 1725. His father Richard, who was land steward to the archbishop of Cashel, brewed beer for workers on the estate taught Arthur the craft of brewing.  When the archbishop died in 1752, he left 100 pounds each to “his servant” Arthur and his father. Using this initial investment, …

Did Jews Participate in the American Revolution? Well here are a few stories. (Mordecai Sheftall)

In Georgia it was a Jew who took the lead in establishing the first “American” government in that colony. Mordecai Sheftall was a second-generation Jewish resident of Savannah and in the late summer of 1774, he became the head of the Parochial Committee of Christ Church Parish.  He worked hard to fully implement the Non-Importation …

THE BILL OF RIGHTS: A BRIEF HISTORY #1

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …

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 …