Category Archives: Ideas

When we talk about 18th Century trade monopolies, the big three (British East India Company, Hudson Bay Company, and the Dutch East India Company).  The era of Spanish hegemony in trade was well in the decline by 1700 but what about the other imperial powers.  Let’s not forget that France, Austria, Demark, Sweden, and Portugal …

Continue reading “The Other East India Companies”

Finnish Wife Carrying Competitions Rosov Ronkainen, a notorious Finnish man from the 1800s, is known for stealing both women and food from nearby villages. He required his accomplices to go through an obstacle course while carrying something heavy on their backs to be sure they could handle the stolen bounties. Now, Finland has both a …

Continue reading “And Now for Something Completely Different.”

Add excitement and authentic color to your special event, or create one for your site, with Philadelphia’s best Colonial Brewer and tradesman.  Whether it is a reenactment, motion picture, a tavern night for a private event, or other endeavor, I can bring can bring a real sense of authenticity and fun to your event and …

Continue reading “Hire the Regimental Brewmeister for your Event or Site”

Last night I spent the evening brewing with the president of the German Society of Pennsylvania, Mark McGuigan, at Congregation Rodeph Shalom in Philadelphia. The synagogue and the German Society of Pennsylvania are working together to promote German Jewish (i.e. Ashkenazi) heritage in Philadelphia.  One of the cool projects is traditional brewing. The German Society …

Continue reading “The German Society of Pennsylvania was Founded in 1764 in Philadelphia”

We all know that on December 16, 1773 protestors boarded the Dartmouth, the Eleanor and the Beaver,  ships of the East India Company, and threw their cargo of tea into the Boston Harbor but this story neither begins nor ends in Boston.  The idea for the acts of defiance against the British Empire was birthed in Philadelphia at …

Continue reading “The Philadelphia Tea Party”

Social Stratification in English Society Under English Common Law, you are entitled (in some situations) to a “Jury of your Peers.”  As Americans, we frequently misinterpret “peers” to mean people like us.  This is because with the adoption of the US Constitution in 1787, we officially renounced all references to “peerage” and titles of nobility …

Continue reading “Lords a Leaping…”

What religious story most resonates with the spirit of the American Revolution?  Yes, there are many stories in many religions that people overcoming atrocities and oppression.  But consider for just a moment the story of Judah Maccabee. In the late 6th century BCE, the Persian emperor Cyrus the Great let the Jews go home after …

Continue reading “Chanukah in Colonial America”

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. December 23, 1783          Washington resigns as Commander in Chief “Having now finished the work assigned to me, I retire from the great theatre of action; and bidding an affectionate …

Continue reading “Historical Tidbits — Washington resigns as Commander in Chief”

Add excitement and authentic color to your special event, or create one for your site, with Philadelphia’s best Colonial Brewer and tradesman.  Whether it is a reenactment, motion picture, a tavern night for a private event, or other endeavor, I can bring can bring a real sense of authenticity and fun to your event and …

Continue reading “Hire the Regimental Brewmeister for your Event or Site”

Stunned by Britain’s defeat at Saratoga and fearing that its former colonies would enter into an alliance with France, Lord North reversed direction in early 1778 and proposed to Parliament that Britain send a peace commission with powers to negotiate with the Continental Congress.  Parliament approved the “Royal Instructions to the Peace Commission” on 16 …

Continue reading “Britain’s Failed Attempt at Peace Talks”