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. The Rosetta Stone was Found July 19, 1799by Napoleon’s Army During Napoleon Bonaparte’s Egyptian campaign, a French soldier discovered and unusual stone while tearing down an old wall. This …
Continue reading “Historical Tidbits — Rosetta Stone Found 7/19/1799”
Okay, TECHNICALLY this is not a beer. According to Reinheitsgebot, beer must be made with malted BARLEY and this beer uses corn but AMERICAN beer is often made with whatever grain is available. I have dedicated this to the Whiskey Rebellion. During the American Revolution, individual states incurred significant debt. In 1790 Treasury Secretary Alexander …
Continue reading ““Beer” Recipe: Whiskey Rebellion Corn Beer”
An orrery is a mechanical model of the Solar System that illustrates or predicts the relative positions and motions of the planets and moons. The first orrery that was a planetarium of the modern era was produced in 1704, and one was presented to Charles Boyle (who penned the Ideal Gas Law), the 4th Earl …
Perhaps it has something to do with the week I am spending in Texas or perhaps it is the fall-out from having watched The Serpent Queen on STARZ but my mind is stuck on “Bloody Mary.” I’m absolutely talking about the cocktail (I need 3 right now) but also the first Queen of England to …
David Rittenhouse moved to Philadelphia in 1770, where he set up shop on the corner of Seventh and Mulberry (now Arch) streets and later became the city surveyor of Philadelphia. Rittenhouse was contracted as a surveyor for Great Britain in 1763. His first public service was a boundary survey for William Penn in 1763-64 to …
Continue reading “David Rittenhouse was a Surveyor and Maker of Surveying Tools”
Private ownership of land in the British colonies of North America, provided self-sufficiency for many and extravagant wealth for a few. The idea of land as property came from England and accurate descriptions of property and its boundaries are essential. For this reason, surveyors were essential not just in the newly acquired lands of North …
Continue reading “The Problem of True North vs Compass North”
When the U.S. Mint opened in Philadelphia, coins were made of copper, silver, and gold, in accordance with the Coinage Act of 1792. Because these coins were made of precious metal, their value was directly related to the amount of metal they contained. Unfortunately, these coins were also vulnerable to a practice known as “clipping.” Clipping …
Continue reading “Ruffles have Ridges … and so do US Coins!”
Medical Ketchup During the 1800’s ketchup was used for medicinal purposes. Ketchup was “brewed” as a cure for diarrhea, jaundice, indigestion, and rheumatism. Originally, ketchup was prepared with mushrooms as a primary ingredient, instead of tomato. So, the next time you’re at the dinner table in one of the 97% of American households that have …
Today marks the 247th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence and while a better date for the founding of our great nation is September 17th, 1787, this is America’s birthday. Since the country was founded, it has grown from 13 independent states with about 2.5 million people to 50 states and 14 territories with a …
In my presentation as Regimental Brewmeister, I frequently extol the benefits of beer over the local water. While drinking beer will protect you from Typhus and Cholera, there is a slightly greater chance that you will contract Yellow Fever if you drink beer. Turns out that the alcohol you’re drinking, and that you are excreting …
Continue reading “Okay, I have bad news: Beer makes humans more attractive to mosquitoes.”
Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 