All during the political campaigns of let last dozen or so years, we have argued and fought over how we should manage and administer healthcare in our country. Lots of ink has been spilled on the merits and problems of public versus private medicine. Few people really consider how we got to the place that …
Category Archives: Ideas
GOP vs Founding Fathers
Round 3 — Government Regulation and the Free Market Well folks, this is an election year. This guarantees we will disagree on many things but please heed this bit of advice – wear boots! The Republican Party likes to claim that they are “originalist” and that they know the intentions that the Founding Fathers had …
The Blacksmith
The blacksmith is a craftsman who fabricates objects out of iron by hot and cold forging on an anvil. The blacksmith’s essential equipment consists of a forge, an open furnace for heating metal ore and metal for working and forming. in which smelted iron is heated so that it can be worked easily; an anvil, …
The Holiday of Hansel
Handsel Monday, the first Monday after January 1, was an old 18th century Scottish tradition where masters would give their servants presents and give them the day off. Sweet! “Handsel” is a Middle English word meaning good luck or good omen. The handsel present was typically money, meaning even the poorest servant had a little extra cash …
GOP vs Founding Fathers
Round 2 — Lower Taxes Republicans tout that the want less government and lower taxes and they are willing to cut a few social programs and even essential services like in order to lower taxes, but so be it. They argue that we should put our trust in people, not in government pushing issues of …
The Whitesmith
Whitesmithing, or tinsmithing, is a much newer form of metalworking that developed in the late 1600s and gained popularity in the 18th and 19th centuries. Although found worldwide, whitesmithing was popular in mainland Europe and especially Britain. Whitesmiths work with thin sheets of iron or steel that were dipped in molten tin to protect the metal from …
GOP vs Founding Fathers
Round 1 — Separation of Church and State Well folks, this is an election year. This guarantees we will disagree on many things but please heed this bit of advice – wear boots! The Republican Party likes to claim that they are “originalist” and that they know the intentions that the Founding Fathers had when …
Basic Colonial Brewing #1 — The Importance of Beer in the 1700’s Colonial America
Today we think of beer as a luxury item, something to enjoy during our leisure times and beverage known and imbibed for its intoxicating properties. This was not always true. In fact, beer was once considered the most healthy drink to give to children and vital to survival. To understand this, you must first understand …
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The Secular Argument for the Establishment Clause of Amendment 1
It is great to argue that the first Congress was inspired to adopt the Establishment Clause[i] by stories of Puritans and other separatist fleeing religious persecution in Europe and some mythical ideal that Americans are somehow more tolerant of other religions than their forebears but this is clearly NOT TRUE. Jews, atheists, Wiccans and Muslims …
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Historical Tidbits — Common Sense
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. January 10, 1776 – Common Sense, a fifty-page pamphlet by Thomas Paine, was published. It sold over 500,000 copies in America and Europe, influencing both the authors of the …
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 