So, I took my wife to DC to view the Cherry Blossoms. We were a bit early as they look like peak blooming will be late this week, but the phenomenon is not to be missed. Spectacular! Cherries have a special place in American History. We’ve all heard the story of George Washington who as …
Category Archives: Ideas
Historical Tidbits — Congress establishes the US Mint
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. April 2, 1792 Congress establishes the US Mint in Philadelphia. On April 2, 1792 Congress passed the Coinage Act, establishing the first national mint in the United States. In …
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April Fools — Part 3
What do you call someone who’s fallen for a prank? In most English-speaking places, you’d probably just call them gullible. But in France, you might use the term poisson d’avril (“April fish.”) The centuries-old name is linked to a 1508 poem by Renaissance composer and writer Eloy d’Amerval, who used the phrase to describe the …
April Fools — Part 2
In my last post, I picked on Boston because, well its Boston. But stupid laws are not a Massachusetts thing. Let’s look a little closer to home. Here are a few from Pennsylvania: It is illegal to catch a fish by any body part other than the mouth. There’s also a law forbidding the use …
April Fools
The origins behind April Fool’s Day are a little sketchy but it is generally understood that it started back in 1582. That was the year that France switched from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian but communication was slow and unreliable so, not everyone switched at the same time. As a consequence, many priests didn’t …
Beer Recipe: Air and Exercise — Rattleskull
“Air and Exercise” = being whipped with a Cat-o-Nine-Tails. Prior to the arrival of Baron Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, American officers often imitated their British peers. In a rather startling example, George Washington once lobbied congress for permission to allow 500 lashes — “Air and Exercise”– as punishment to maintain discipline the Continental soldiers! Congress …
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Basic Colonial Brewing #17 — Make an 18th Century Toast
“To drink at a table without drinking to the health of someone special, should be considered drinking on the sly, and as an act of incivility.” Throughout history, toasting began after a meal and could last for hours. Toasts would solidify the bonds of groups, not only through the competitive element of drinking, but by …
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I Need Your Help!
I need your help with the Moland House. After 15 years of tireless effort and superb leadership, Jo-Anne Mullen has decided to step down from organizing the annual reenactment at Moland House. In order to make sure this event continues uninterrupted, I am taking the reins of organizing the event (sadly this means I will not be …
Rights are rights and they should not be abridged.
Okay, sometimes I use this soapbox to rant but you can tell we are in for a nasty next few years (maybe more depending on who is elected). The HATE MONGERS are rallying their troops. At stake in this election cycle is literally whether the Bill of Rights, that set of amendments to the US …
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Defending the Empire: Being a Reenactor with the 43rd Rgmt of Foot
If you want to start reenacting or just want to explore the hobby, my advice is to join one of the better Revolutionary War regiments. Whether you choose to be Contential, Militia; or, for the stout of heart, British is more about who you are and what you want to learn. For me it was …
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