Double Agent — Major John Clark John Clark was commissioned as a first lieutenant in the 1st Continental Infantry (Pennsylvania Rifles) on January 1, 1776, and was made a major of the 2nd Pennsylvania Battalion of the Flying Camp on September 14, 1776. He originally came to the attention of George Washington during the evacuation …
Continue reading “Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#3)”
America’s Most Famous Spy — Nathan Hale In the early years of the Revolutionary War, spying was not exactly considered honorable. Nathan Hale, however, volunteered to spy on the British Army after reportedly confiding in his classmate that he longed to be useful to the American cause. He joined the Connecticut militia, becoming a First …
Continue reading “Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#2)”
America’s Most Famous Spy — Dr. Benjamin Church Long before Benedict Arnold defected to the British, Benjamin Rush committed treason against the Continental Congress and the Army. Like Arnold, Benjamin Church seemed the paragon of the patriot cause but he was likely paid for his treason and ultimately died in disgrace. Church was a member …
Continue reading “Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#1)”
A traditional gentlemen’s club was a private social club originally set up by and for British upper-class men in the 18th century. These clubs were, in effect, “second homes” in the center of London where men could relax, mix with their friends, play parlor games, get a meal, and in some clubs stay overnight. Expatriates, …
We all know about Saturn’s rings. They were first observed by Galileo in 1610 but what about the planet itself. Turns out most of the focus of early astronomers (indeed even modern astronomers) has been on the rings but take a look at this letter in the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London …
In June 3, 1769, after months of planning, the skies that had been cloudy for several days cleared over East Norriton, Pennsylvania. David Rittenhouse waited nervously for the moment when Venus would briefly become visible as it passed across the sun. This transit was an extremely rare event and according to computations by Edmund Halley, …
Continue reading “And then he fainted just before the whole spectacle began”
A bounce is a drink made with a mixture of alcohol and sweetened cherry juice. The earliest reference for such a drink is 1693 where it was referenced in W. Robertson’s Phraseologia Generalis as a “mingled drink” called cherrybouncer. Sometimes cherry brandy (Kirsch) was also called bounce as the two beverages are very similar. The …
Continue reading “Man does not live on beer alone — Cherry Bounce”
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. May 29, 1787 – At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the Virginia Plan calling for a bicameral legislature, an executive, and a judiciary branch of government was proposed by …
Living near Philadelphia, I tend to have a very East Coast view of the American Revolution. After all, the BIG battles in North America were in New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the Carolinas and Virginia. America west of the Mississippi River was a far of land deep in New Spain for most Americans in 1777. Not …
Continue reading “The Westernmost Battle of the American Revolution — Fort San Carlos”
I need your help with the Moland House. This will be my second year planning the annual reenactment at Moland House. Last year, I took reins of organizing the event after Jo-Anne Mullen has decided to step down from organizing the event. We’ve had some growing pains trying to live up to the 15 years of tireless …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 