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 16, 1779 Failed Siege of Savannah The Siege of Savannah was also known as the Second Battle of Savannah. The year before, the city had been captured by …
Category Archives: Ideas
MEXICAN Independence Day
Mexico was a colony of Spain for over 300 years. The native population was oppressed, farmland and personal wealth were confiscated and only Spaniards were allowed to hold political posts. On September 16, 1810, a Catholic priest in the town of Dolores named Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla rang his church’s bell and delivered a speech …
Is This the Way it Was Really Done? My Policies on Historical Accuracy.
Okay, we are not LARPing. I know there are some out there who are gung-ho for the fantasy or mythical reality of the American Revolution but we are trying to teach history so historical accuracy is a must. At my events, I strive to be as accurate as possible with the following caveats: When being …
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Blowing Smoke Up Someone’s Arse‡
Maybe I’m just having a bad day but after several government meetings, the term “Blowing smoke up someone’s ass” has been used way too much. Just to set the record straight, this was not always a simple figure of speech indicating someone was being an insincere flatterer. Tobacco smoke enemas became a mainstream medical practice …
I Need a Couple of Helpers for the Tavern Night at the Morgan Log House
September 21, 20244:00 pm – 8:30pm (please come at 3:00)Morgan Log House 850 Weikel Rd Lansdale, PA 19446 Public houses and taverns played an integral role in the commercial life of the American Colonies. They weren’t simply places to drink. They were a place to meet like-minded individuals, meeting places at which to conduct business, …
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A Tavern Night at the Morgan Log House
September 21, 20244:00 pmMorgan Log House 850 Weikel Rd Lansdale, PA 19446 Public houses and taverns played an integral role in the commercial life of the American Colonies. They weren’t simply places to drink. They were a place to meet like-minded individuals, meeting places at which to conduct business, and clearinghouses for news about both …
Traitors and Bigots are not Welcome!
Last weekend, I ran a brewing demo at a very busy event, and I am proud to have shared my expertise and products with a lot of truly great people. This blog post is NOT about them. By and large, I respect people’s political opinions. I disagree with a shockingly large percentage of you, but …
What Language is that written in? Understanding 18th Century Handwriting
Several years ago, I was giving tours at Independence Hall when one of the guests approached me outside Congress Hall to ask questions about the Articles of Confederations (BTW, volunteers love to be asked questions, that’s why we do this so don’t hold back. If you ask us a question that we don’t know the …
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The Star-Spangled Banner
On September 14, 1814, Francis Scott Key pens a titled “The Defence of Fort M’Henry,” after he witnessed the fort being bombarded by the British during the War of 1812. Key was inspired by the sight of a lone U.S. flag still flying over Fort McHenry at daybreak, as reflected in the now-famous words of the …
Traitors and Bigots are not Welcome!
Last weekend, I ran a brewing demo at a very busy event, and I am proud to have shared my expertise and products with a lot of truly great people. This blog post is NOT about them. By and large, I respect people’s political opinions. I disagree with a shockingly large percentage of you, but …
