Coming-of-age ale — a long-forgotten British beer style

For most of the 17th, 18th and 19th Centuries, the practice of home-brewing was common on most farms and homestead, but one beer style was almost exclusively the domain of noblemen and country gentlemen – the “coming-of-age” beer.  These beers, typically extra stout, were brewed and laid down laid down when the son and heir …

Historical Tidbits — Battle of “Bunker Hill”

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. June 17, 1775     Battle of Bunker Hill. Well actually, Breed’s Hill…  On June 13, 1775, the leaders of the colonial forces besieging Boston learned that the British were planning to send …

THE BILL OF RIGHTS: A BRIEF HISTORY #9

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 …

Historical Tidbits — Forty Fort

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. Forty Fort was a stronghold built by settlers from Westmoreland County, Connecticut, on the Susquehanna River in Luzerne County, Pennsylvania. During the American Revolutionary War, both Connecticut and Pennsylvania …

Why Do We Fold the American Flag into a Triangle?

Actually, tradition calls for us to fold the flag into the shape of a tri-cornered hat, the kind worn by George Washington and other soldiers who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War.  While the troops carried a variety of flags during that war, the tradition of folding the flag in the manner …

Historical Tidbits — Creation of Continental Army

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. June 14, 1775 – The Second Continental Congress creates the Continental Army.  Six companies of riflemen are then dispatched to Boston. When the American Revolutionary War broke out in …

Historical Tidbits — The Lightning Experiment

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. June 10, 1752 – Benjamin Franklin demonstrates that lightning is a form of electricity.  This kite experiment will make Mr. Franklin one of the most famous men in the …

Historical Tidbits — HMS Gaspee BURNED!

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. June 9, 1772 – The HMS Gaspee, a British customs ship that ran aground in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island.  The Gaspee, commanded by Lieutenant Dudingston, was engaged in a …

Historical Tidbits — Lord Dunmore Leaves Williamsburg

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. June 8, 1775        Lord Dunmore retires to British shipping.    Dunmore and his family fled the Governor’s Palace in the middle of the night and took up residence aboard the Fowey. Want …

US Marines in the American Revolution — Ohio River Row Galley

Summer 1782 As Rogers Clark was faced with the monumental task of maintaining military control over the Ohio River valley. With few men at his disposal, he decided to construct an armed row galley for use in securing the navigation of the Ohio, particularly at the mouths of the Miami River and Licking Creek. By …