In the summer of 1775, George Washington and the fledgling Continental Army was unable to effectively lay siege to British-occupied Boston because the Royal Navy had a firm command of the sea-lanes and the harbor. All George Washington could do was observe the flow of enemy supplies into Boston harbor and wondered if intercepting a …
Category Archives: Ideas
Historical Tidbits
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 4, 1777 – BATTLE OF GERMANTOWN: General Sir William Howe having outmaneuvered Washington, and seizing Philadelphia moved the bulk of his force to Germantown, an outlying community to …
Proof your Whiskey, Sir
When it comes to arcane historical terms for spirits and other alcohol, proof is one of the frustrating ones. In our modern vernacular, with the blessing of modern analytical chemistry as support, we simply think of “proof” as two times the alcohol by volume (ABV). But why is this measure even a thing? After all, …
Did they Bathe?
Okay, I know Donald Trump may have said some significant points the other night but as I watch his contorted orange face, I keep being reminded of a common question poised to those of us who reenact the 18th Century — “Is it true that they never bathed?” spite that persistent “ring around the collar” …
Can we just skip the niceties and settle this with a duel!
Watching last night’s “debate” (it was hardly a debate as debates involve decorum and dignity), I am reminded that in the 18th Century, when a gentleman’s honor or the honor of someone he holds in esteem (like his son) is deliberately and unapologetically besmirched, there was a remedy. You could publicly demand satisfaction, and if …
Continue reading “Can we just skip the niceties and settle this with a duel!”
Historical Tidbits
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. September 29, 1789 – Congress created the United States Army. Following the Revolution, the Continental Army was disbanded. This act of Congress under the US Constitution created a permanent …
18th Century Science Day at Pottsgrove Manor TRANSIT OF VENUS Saturday, September 26, 2020
RAINED OUT! Well, at least we aren’t TECHNICALLY cancelling due to COVID. With the rain and our need to maintain social distancing, this event had to be cancelled.
Battle of Germantown Saturday, October 3, 2020 CANCELED DUE TO COVID-19
Join us as His Magisty’s 43rd Regiment of Foot is tragically forced to flee into the stone manor at Cliveden. Despite being cut off from the remainder of General Howe’s regulars, we will hold the house and eventually repels advancing columns of Continental Army soldiers. Perhaps you were expecting an American victory, so was George …
Continue reading “Battle of Germantown Saturday, October 3, 2020 CANCELED DUE TO COVID-19”
Historical Tidbits
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. September 25, 1787 – a first of a series of fifteen essays arguing AGAINST the formation of a new US Constitution were published. The authors of these ANTIFEDERALIST papers …
Atomic Don: Enemy to Capitalism
Pardon me as I take a diversion from my normal 18th Century personae. I frequently tire of being the “… army [ramming] the ramparts, [taking] over the airports, [doing] everything it had to do, and at Fort McHenry, under the rockets’ red glare, it had nothing but victory.”1[i] To discuss a little economics. Yes, I …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 