In discussions on the American Revolutionary War, the contributions of Texas are seldom brought up.[1] But in the 1770s, Texas, inhabited by Spaniards and Native Americans, was a hub of activity. While the signing of the Declaration of Independence occurred on July 4, 1776 in Philadelphia, Tejanos (Texans) manned outposts, guarded New Spain’s claims, and reconnoitered neighboring …
Category Archives: General history
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. December 26, 1776 – 2400 Continental Soldiers, having crossed the Delaware the night before, marched to Trenton and engaged 1400 Hessian soldiers under the command of Col Johann Rhall. …
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. December 26, 1776 1st Battle of Trenton Having successfully crossed the Delaware on Christmas day, the Continental Army attacked a Hessian garrison at Trenton on December 26, 1776. Although …
Louisiana Purchase finalized 12/20/1803
On December 12, 1803 the United States completed the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from Frans for $15 million. This territory encompassed 530,000,000 acres of territory. As the United States spread across the Appalachians, the Mississippi River became an increasingly important conduit for the produce of America’s West (which at that time referred to the …
Boston Tea Party — December 16, 1773
Although Britain had been victorious in the Seven Years’ War (1756-1763), that victory had come at the expense (literally) of a huge national debt. Having taxed local Britons to the point of economic peril, Parliament looked to the American colonies for revenue. Parliament instituted taxes on the colonies including a tea tax. Colonists argued that …
Author Jane Austen born (12/16/1775)
British novelist Jane Austen was born on December 16, 1775 and into a middle-class family in Steventon, Hampshire. She was the seventh of eight children born to Rev. George Austen and his wife Cassandra. Although she wrote only six novels and died in 1817 at the age of 41. Her works continue to inspire debate …
Bill of Rights Day — December 15, 1791
On December 15, 1791, the new United States of America ratified the Bill of Rights, the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution, confirming the fundamental rights of its citizens. The Bill of Rights draws influence and inspiration from the Magna Carta (1215), the English Bill of Rights (1689), and various later efforts in England …
On December 13, 1636 our First “Citizen Soldier” were Mustered.
While several of our military branches can be justifiably proud of over 246 years of service to our nation, one component of the military goes back much further! The National Guard is the direct descendent of America’s first militias. The oldest regiments drilled for the first time on the village green in Salem, Massachusetts, on …
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First Thanksgiving Celebration
On December 18, 1777, General George Washington’s army celebrated the first national Thanksgiving in Gulph Mills and on Rebel Hill. The celebration caused a one day delay in the army’s march to Valley Forge, which General Washington had decided a day earlier, was to be where the army would make its winter quarters. The purpose of …
Dirty Business and Politics are Often Bedfellows
We all think of Benjamin Franklin as a grandfatherly type who invented and published things, sort of that eccentric neighbor who was everyone’s friend, but there was a ruthless side to Franklin. In 1728, a printer named Samuel Keimer founded the Pennsylvania Gazette, the second newspaper ever printed in the colony. It did not do …
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Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 