No one would suspect “little ole me” of being a spy — Ann Bates Ann Bates was Philadelphia schoolteacher with Loyalist sympathies. She was also married to a British soldier and gunsmith, posted in New York. At the British camp, she met Major Duncan Drummond, the intelligence chief for the British commanding general, who preceded …
Continue reading “Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#7)”
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 …
The Black Freeman and his Slave were BOTH Spies! — Hercules and Cato Mulligan Many know Hercules Mulligan as a character in the play Hamilton and ironically, he is the only personae in that play who actually was black. He was also a very successful spy for the American cause. Mulligan was one of the …
Continue reading “Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#6)”
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 …
Continue reading “NO, We Didn’t All Write with Quills in the 18th Century. Some Used Pencils.”
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 …
Continue reading “In 1797 Henry Cavendish Used Small Metal Spheres to Weigh the Earth”
Spying for his Freedom — James Armistead “Lafayette” James Armistead was an enslaved African American who served the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War under the Marquis de Lafayette. Acting as a double agent, he reported the activities of Benedict Arnold after he had defected to the British, and of Lord Charles Cornwallis during …
Continue reading “Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#5)”
A Master of Disguise — Sarah Fulton As a member of the Daughters of Liberty, Sarah Fulton became involved in protests and the planning of the Boston Tea Party. Sarah is credited with disguising the Sons of Liberty as Native Americans. After the protest, the men returned to Fulton’s home, where she helped remove face …
Continue reading “Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#4)”
The Regimental Brewmeister is happy to give talks and lectures at your site to audiences of any size. I ask that you provide appropriate auto visual projection equipment and event promotion. I typically come in 18th Century attire and conduct interactive discussions. While I am happy to consider talks on other subjects, I have delivered …
Continue reading “The Regimental Brewmeister does “Talks” as well as brewing demonstrations.”
People are always welcome to come to my events and if you come in 18th Century kit, you can be part of the program or just hang out in the tent as you see fit. However, if you are truly interested in really learning the process, teaching the public, and being the brewer, you should …
Actually, tradition calls for us to fold the flag into the shape of a tri-cornered hat, the kind worn by George Washington and other soldiers who served in the Continental Army during the Revolutionary War. While the troops carried a variety of flags during that war, the tradition of folding the flag in the manner …
Continue reading “Why Do We Fold the American Flag into a Triangle?”
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 