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 …
Continue reading “The Scourge of Slavery (#3b) — Indentured Servants”
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 …
Continue reading “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, 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 …
Continue reading “Historical Tidbits — Surrender at Saratoga”
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. …
Continue reading “US Marines in the American Revolution — Defeat on Lake Champlain”
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 …
There is a lot of controversy over Imperial vs Metric units of measurement. Let’s be totally honest, metrics based on base-ten measurement (ie metric) are much easier to use IN MODERN SOCIETY but this has not always been true. Imperial metrics are historically significant and easier for preliterate societies to use. In a society where …
Continue reading “Powers of Two – Defense of the Imperial System of Measurements”
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 11, 1776 – General Benedict Arnold engaged the British in a naval engagement off of Valcour Island on Lake Champlain. Although defeated, the American forces inflicted significant damage …
Continue reading “Historical Tidbits — Battle of Valcour Island”
In the world of Living History there are three distinct impressions people tend to assume when presenting people from the past. When we act as a third-person interpreter, we are just demonstrating what life was like at the time we are portraying. In third person interpretation, we openly acknowledge that this is the 21st Century …
On August 15, 1620; the Mayflower and the Speedwell set sail for VIRGINIA. Unfortunately, after only about 200 miles in the rough waters of the north Atlantic, the Speedwell sprang began taking on water and had to turn back. The decision to abandon the Speedwell and transfer many of its passengers onto the Mayflower set …
When Jacques Cartier sailed up the St. Lawrence River in 1535 in search of the Northwest Passage, he met 50 canoes filled with Micmac Indians, who signaled a desire to trade by waving furs on sticks. This began the very fruitful trade between Canada’s First Peoples and the Europeans, first the French and later the …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 