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 28, 1776 Attack on Sullivan’s Island In early 1776, the British organized an expedition for operations in the southern colonies. Delayed by logistical concerns and bad weather, the …
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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 28, 1778 Molly Pitcher “Molly Pitcher” was not a single historical figure, but a composite folk hero inspired by the actions of different people, most of them women …
Its always frustrating to start a conversation and realize that the audience you are speaking to has no idea what the terms you are using mean. I assure you I have not relapsed into a more comfortable language (like Dutch or German) but am in fact speaking English when I give my beer talks. What …
“Q” — Benjamin Talmadge In the James Bond films, the spymaster is never known by their name, only their codename. In 1777, America’s master spy was Benjamin Talmadge. Major Benjamin Tallmadge was an American Continental Army officer who oversaw the Culper Spy Ring during the American Revolution. In November 1778, Gen. George Washington directed Tallmadge …
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Although best known for his proof that comets follow regular orbits around the sun, Edmond Halley was also an inventor. Halley invented and tested one of the world’s first submersible. In this diving bell as many as four men could descend beneath the surface of water and spend hours observing life on the bottom or …
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Most of us are comfortable with pilotage. This is the practice of navigating from one landmark to the next in a sequence to find your way to your destination. In fact, most of us have given directions like, “go down Main Street to the third light and turn left, then …” But what do you …
“M” — John André In the James Bond films, the spymaster is never known by their name, only their codename. In 1777, Britain’s master spy was John André. John André was a British Major officer on the staff of General Henry Clinton (Commander in Chief of British Forces in North America). In 1774, André was …
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Well, sometimes you just have to let someone know what you think and polite words don’t work. We’ve all been at events when we wanted to let loose on one or more of the “brilliant” attendees who “know everything.” Well, its just a matter of speaking the right language (Ik mompel gewoon in het Nederlands …
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The Spy who Loved Me… — Peggy Shippen Margaret “Peggy” Shippen was the second wife of American General Benedict Arnold and perhaps the highest-paid spy in the American Revolution. The Shippen family was a prominent Philadelphia family with Loyalist tendencies. During the British occupation of Philadelphia, Peggy Shippen was courted by British Head of Intelligence, …
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David Rittenhouse was a highly respected scientist during the formative years of the United States. Anyone who has attempted to survey knows that straight lines are much easier than curves. Rittenhouse ran the survey that established the circular boundary between Pennsylvania and Delaware, a circle of 12-mile radius, with Newcastle as its center. He later …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 