The Toddy Lifter “If you intend to drink much after dinner, never drink much at dinner.” Thus begin the collection of witty musings on drink, philosophy, and life that Edinburgh’s Blackwood Magazine published in the 1820’s, The maxims of Sir Morgan O’Dohherty Baronet. There is no doubt that William Maginn is the author as he …
Category Archives: General history
The Scourge of Slavery (#3c) — Penal Transportation
Banishment or forced exile has been used as a punishment since at least the 5th century BCE but the British Empire turned it into an industry during the 18th and 19th centuries. Penal transportation was the relocation of convicted criminals and other undesirable people (chiefly the poor) to a distant colony for incarceration. Transportation was …
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The Scourge of Slavery (#3b) — Indentured Servants
The acquisition of indentured servants and slaves began with the earliest days of the settling of America. Before 1680, the most common form of bound labor was the white indentured servant. Up to two-thirds of the English migrants who came to Virginia between 1630 and 1680 arrived in servile status. In return for the cost …
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John Jay Appointed 1st US Chief Justice
After the Constitution was ratified, President Washington needed to make several political appointments. In September 1789, he offered John Jay the position of Secretary of State. Though a new title, it would’ve been the same duties he was already performing as Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Jay turned down the offer. Still eager to put Jay …
Historical Tidbits — Falmouth Burnt
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 18, 1775 Falmouth Burnt. After the march on Lexington, the British in Boston were cut off from the land and their only means of supplies was by sea. …
Trade Wars are Bad! Consider the Vretslav Beer War of 1380.
Along the border between Poland and the Czech Republic is region of Silesia. Its largest city is Wroclaw and until 1327, this region was under the domain of the Polish crown. When King Henryk VI died without an heir, the region was annexed by Bohemia (peacefully) and under Bohemian rule the ‘Rata’ or ‘Rathaus’ was governed by …
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Historical Tidbits — John Adams DEFENDS Boston Massacre Soldiers
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 17, 1770John Adams DEFENDS the soldiers accused of murder as a result of the Boston Massacre Although a devout patriot, John Adams agreed to risk his family’s livelihood …
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Historical Tidbits — Surrender at Saratoga
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 17, 1777 Surrender of Burgoyne at Saratoga In the summer of 1777, General Burgoyne led an army of 8,000 men south through New York in an effort to …
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US Marines in the American Revolution — Defeat on Lake Champlain
13 October 1776 In the fall of 1776, the American Revolution appeared doomed to the ignominious fate of a suppressed insurrection. The invasion of Canada had collapsed with the assault on Quebec, where General Richard Montgomery was slain, and the ocher colonial commander, Benedict Arnold, severely wounded, was forced to flee southward with his men. …
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Historical Tidbits — Birth of U S Navy
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 13, 1775 — The acquisition of a fleet of ships that would become the United States Navy was authorized by an act of the Second Continental Congress. The …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 