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. March 22, 1765                 STAMP ACT  The Stamp Act of 1765 was the first internal tax levied directly on American colonists by the British Parliament. The act, which imposed …

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. March 17, 1776 – EVACUATION DAY:  Following a protracted siege by the Continental Army, and the emplacement of artillery upon Dorchester Heights, the British retreat from Boston. On March …

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. March 17, 1776 British evacuate Boston.  British forces are forced to evacuate Boston following General George Washington’s successful placement of fortifications and cannons on Dorchester Heights, which overlooks the city …

The Irish in the American Revolution

It was coincidence only that Evacuation Day in Boston and St. Patrick’s Day fell on the same date.  No one appreciated this concurrence more than George Washington who surrounded himself with officers of Irish birth, an whose army was estimated to be at least 48% Irish born Catholics.  It was noted that the Commander-in-Chief made …

Origin of the Tricorned Hat

Well its Purim and many of us taught that we eat hamantaschen because Haman, the villain of the Megillah, wore a tri-cornered hat but there is no evidence that Haman wore a triangular hat.  You might also be surprise to learn that Swedes have a suspiciously similar cookie, called Napoleon’s Hats or Napoleonhattar, which are traditionally filled with …

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. 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 …

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. 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 …

Eli Whitney Patented the Cotton Gin on March 14, 1794

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, …