In 1789, President George Washington issued a proclamation designating November 26 of that year as a national day of thanksgiving to recognize the role of providence in creating the new United States and the new federal Constitution. Thanksgiving as a celebration of surviving the first year of the Plymouth Colony had been celebrated in Massachusetts …
Category Archives: Ideas
Holiday Spirits with the Regimental Brewmeister
November 24 — Fort Mifflin Spent too much time with your in-laws for Thanksgiving … Come learn about the OTHER spirits that reside at Fort Mifflin. For the last several years, we have run a very successful program on 18th Century brewing class and our original plan was to repeat this on Black Powder Friday. …
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Metric Time
There are 24 hours in a day, seven days in a week, and (roughly) 365 days in a year. There are 60 minutes in an hour and 60 seconds in a minute. You probably knew all that. But you know it because you’ve committed it to memory — it’s not something you can reason out. …
Outerwear – Capes are the Height of Gentlemanly Fashion
It’s raining — AGAIN. We are entering the winter season and that is generally the time when we most question the wisdom of 18th Century clothing. A couple of years ago, I was smart enough to purchase a great black wool cape. To be honest, this is perhaps the warmest overcoat I own and on …
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Turkey? Why Turkey?
For many a Thanksgiving meal is centered on turkey. Turkeys are indigenous only to parts of North America and Europeans only first came into contact with turkeys roughly 500 years ago. So how did turkeys (the bird) end up being named so similarly to Turkey (the country)? As far as we can tell, the first European …
Despite Today’s Politics, the Turkey was Never Considered as Our National Symbol
There is a myth that the turkey almost came to represent the United States. The story goes that after the Declaration of Independence was signed, Congress asked Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, and John Adams to design a seal for our new nation. Since many of the Germanic nations, incorporate eagles into their pageantry, the eagle …
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How to Cheat at 18th Century Whist
Whist was a very most popular card games in Georgian England, played by the gentry in all the best coffee houses in London. It features prominently in the novels by Jane Austen and is considered fashionable in high society as a challenging strategic card game requiring good memory, sympathetic partnering and psychological acumen. The rules …
Holiday Spirits with the Regimental Brewmeister
November 24 — Fort Mifflin Spent too much time with your in-laws for Thanksgiving … Come learn about the OTHER spirits that reside at Fort Mifflin. For the last several years, we have run a very successful program on 18th Century brewing class and our original plan was to repeat this on Black Powder Friday. …
Continue reading “Holiday Spirits with the Regimental Brewmeister”
Come Help Us Create a Unique Portable Bar at Fort Mifflin
On September 17, 2022, Fort Mifflin took possession of an Amish surrey style wagon approximately 5 ft wide and 7 feet long in serviceable condition. This buggy was donated by Warehouse on Watts and transported to the fort by Fort Mifflin staff. The buggy is in “good” condition but not roadworthy and does need minor …
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Republican vs republican
I don’t normally like to promote businesses in my blog. Its unseemly. This time, however, there is a story and a biting comment to share. On Thursday, 11/11, the Sons of the American Revolution Color Guard, performed honors for our Veterans at the National Constitution Center. Following this event, I took the opportunity to visit …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 