In 1776 the Committee of Safety of the Delaware River ordered a “Smith Shop and Forge” to be built on Mud Island. That building was likely demolished during the siege of 1777 but we have the rebuild (new and improved) blacksmith shop from 1798 The only thing missing is a blacksmith is on duty managing …
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At midnight on December 31st, throughout the English-speaking world, the song “Auld Lang Syne” is sung practically everywhere. This song — actually a poem by Robert Burns — is indelibly linked to New Year’s celebrations, but what does it mean? You’ve all seen Billy Crystal in Harry met Sally: “Does that mean that we should …
When we talk about 18th Century trade monopolies, the big three (British East India Company, Hudson Bay Company, and the Dutch East India Company). The era of Spanish hegemony in trade was well in the decline by 1700 but what about the other imperial powers. Let’s not forget that France, Austria, Demark, Sweden, and Portugal …
Founded in 1600 by royal charter, the East India Company was established as a joint-stock trading company to exploit opportunities east of the Cape of Good Hope where it was granted a trade monopoly. Crucially, to conduct this trade, the EIC was permitted to ‘wage war’. Although the EIC did not hold sovereignty in its …
Considered the first artificial pigment, Prussian Blue was created at the turn of the eighteenth century, rather ironically by an artist seeking to create a new source for red paint. There are varying accounts as to the exact story behind the color, but the most interesting is from German physician Georg Ernst Stahl (1659–1734). He …
In 1776 the Committee of Safety of the Delaware River ordered a “Smith Shop and Forge” to be built on Mud Island. That building was likely demolished during the siege of 1777 but we have the rebuild (new and improved) blacksmith shop from 1798 The only thing missing is a blacksmith is on duty managing …
Continue reading “We’re Reopening the Blacksmith Shop at Fort Mifflin”
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 23, 1783 Washington resigns as Commander in Chief “Having now finished the work assigned to me, I retire from the great theatre of action; and bidding an affectionate …
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On December 20, 1803, The Louisiana Purchase, a land deal between the United States and France in which the U.S. acquired approximately 827,000 square miles of land west of the Mississippi River for $15 million, was finalized. In 1802 Spain lost the vast territory of Louisiana, which had been its spoils for assistance in the …
Well, Tis the Season when many of you are in a Dickens of a mood so let’s talk about 18th Century debtors in England. Prior to the Bankruptcy Act (1869), missing even a small debt payment could lead to decades of imprisonment. If you are familiar with Charles Dickens’ novel Little Dorrit, originally published as …
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 19, 1732 – Benjamin Franklin first published Poor Richard’s Almanac. Poor Richard’s Almanack was a yearly almanac published by Benjamin Franklin, who adopted the pseudonym of “Poor Richard” …
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