When Congress declared independence in 1776, they pitted an economically small country against one of the most powerful nations on the globe. Not only did these colonies need to form a new government, unify the people, and field an army to fight for independence, they also needed to find a way to pay for it …
Category Archives: Ideas
The New Nation Needed SPECIE Coinage
Because of a shortage of hard currency, most of the colonies issued paper currency prior to the American Revolution. This coupled with an ongoing trade that often involved various foreign currencies, was sufficient for most trade as we had a largely barter driven economy. When war broke out with Great Britian, the Continental Congress grappled …
Long Before the ERA, David Rittenhouse Provided Government Jobs for Women
At a time when gender roles were very strict and women generally did not work outside a few very limited industries, David Rittenhouse, the first director of the US Mint, hired women onto the production staff. In 1795, Sarah Waldrake and Rachael Summers were hired as adjusters making the US Mint the first federal agency …
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Tranquil Gardens within Independence National Historical Park
We often go to Independence National Historical Park just to see the big historic sites but its good to remember that this is also a very tranquil park (when you get away from the tourist). Next time you are there, take some time to visit the gardens. 18th Century Garden The 18th Century Garden showcases …
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Excise is defined as a “hateful tax levied upon commodities, and adjudged not by the common judges of property, but wretches hired by those to whom excise is paid.”
There remains a stubborn perception that somehow Noah Webster wrote the first American dictionary. This is actually not true. There were many dictionaries written in the 18th Century and the premier edition was written by Samuel Johnson. In June 1746, Samuel Johnson signed the contract with a group of booksellers in London to write A …
Brewing Up History with Regimental Brewmeister
July 4, 202410 AM – 6 PMWashington Crossing Historic Park1112 River RdWashington Crossing, PA 18977 Okay, we are going back to Washington’s Crossing. Not to invade New Jersey (we’ll do that later) but to brew beer. Military expeditions were not possible in the 18th Century without vast quantities of beer (DON”T DRINK THE WATER!). I will, therefore, …
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Historical Tidbits — Indemnity Act
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. June 29, 1767 The Indemnity Act –reduced taxes on the British East India Company when they imported tea into England. This allowed them to re-export the tea to the colonies more …
Spruce was NEVER a Substitute for Hops
There is a persistent myth that Spruce was added to beer in lieu of hops. Let me set the record straight, Spruce Beer is NOT Gruit! Gruit ale is an herbed beer, originating in the Low Countries (Netherlands, Flanders, and Rhineland Germany) and common in the 10th to 15th centuries. It was largely displaced by …
Spy vs Spy: George Washington’s and King George’s Spies (#18)
The Other Spy Ring — Mersereau Ring Because of the AMC Series TURN, everybody knows about the Culper Ring but there was another spy ring operating in New York at the same time — The Mersereau Ring. Like the Culper Ring, the Mersereau Ring operated throughout the New Brunswick and New York regions that gathered …
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Historical Tidbits — Attack on Sullivan’s Island
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. June 28, 1776 Attack on Sullivan’s Island In early 1776, the British organized an expedition for operations in the southern colonies. Delayed by logistical concerns and bad weather, the …
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Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 