As a boy, George Washington strongly considered a career in the Royal Navy and studying geometry and celestial navigation. To improve his skills, he took up surveying using a set of surveyor’s instruments his father owned for his farm. Early in 1748, Washington accompanied George Fairfax and James Genn, the Royal Surveyor of Prince William …
Category Archives: Ideas
The Colonial Chandler
Candles were made by either dipping a wick in molten wax or pouring that wax into a mold around the wick. By the late 1700s, many of the candles used in the American colonies were produced by commercial chandlers. Soap is a natural by-product of candle making, so many chandleries also sold soap. To make …
Historical Tidbits — BATTLE OF BREED’S 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 BREED’S HILL (AKA Bunker Hill): 200 colonial troops under the command of William Prescott occupied Bunker Hill and Breed’s Hill constructing a strong …
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The EIC and Opium, a Deadly Combination
Next time you hear some politician blaming China for all the problems in the world, remember our friends in the East India Company. Unregulated, government and military backed capitalist that they were, started a WAR in order to extract a trade balance with China. Even though Europeans were eager to acquire Chinese tea, silk, and …
NO, We Didn’t All Write with Quills in the 18th Century. Some Used Pencils.
People began using pencils in Europe in the early 17th century. Graphite was discovered in England’s Lake District and it was soon discovered that this mineral made marks on paper and other surfaces that could be easily rubbed away. Early pencils were often a bit of graphite held in some sort of holder that allowed …
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In 1797 Henry Cavendish Used Small Metal Spheres to Weigh the Earth
In 1768, through careful observation and lots of computations, the Royal Society was able to compute the distance of the Earth from the Sun. Armed with this information, and using Newtons universal law of gravitation (1687), it should be possible to understand the behavior of the planets. There remained, however, just one problem. How much …
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Flag Day
Nothing is quite so awe inspiring as to be on a military installation when Call to Colors is played. EVERTYHING STOPS! EVERYONE turns to the colors and most people salute. This event happens twice each day to remind us of WHY we are there. We are there not for some political agenda in Washington, not …
Is There Meaning Behind Each Fold of the American Flag?
Is There a Meaning Behind Each Fold of the American Flag? Well, that depends… For more than 200 years, the American flag has been the symbol of our nation’s unity, as well as a source of pride and inspiration for millions of citizens. Born on June 14, 1777, the Second Continental Congress determined that the …
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Burn Baby Burn
On flag day, we should address the elephant in the room. Some of these elephants get really upset when our national symbol is publicly burned. They are fools! When our flag is retired, it should be cremated. Yes – burned; never thrown out like garbage. Sure, its just a piece of cloth but this simple …
Betsy Ross DID NOT make the First Flag of the United States
There simply is no credible historical evidence — letters, diaries, newspaper accounts, bills of sale — that Betsy Ross, then known as Elizabeth Claypoole, either made or had a hand in designing the American flag in 1777. That said, her story is a very tenacious piece of fiction and popular American Myth that is constantly …
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