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 …

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, …

A Tavern Night at the Williams Ordinary

June 8, 20245:00 pm 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 local and global events.  The local tavern quite …

Brewing Up History with Regimental Brewmeister

June 1, 202410 AM – 6 PMNewtown Square Historical Society3 Paper Mill Rd,Newtown Square, PA 19073 Perhaps you are an accomplished homebrewer and you want to appreciate the challenges faced by brewers in the 18th Century who brewed good beer without all the instrumentation and modern equipment we rely on, perhaps you are a history …

Brewing Up History with Regimental Brewmeister

May 18 & 1910 AM – 6 PMPennypacker Mills5 Haldeman RoadSchwenksville, PA 19473 Perhaps you are an accomplished homebrewer and you want to appreciate the challenges faced by brewers in the 18th Century who brewed good beer without all the instrumentation and modern equipment we rely on, perhaps you are a history buff and want …

The Scourge of Slavery (#17) — Perpetuating Slavery after 13th Amendment

The state of Connecticut officially abolished slavery in 1784 but there were laws enacted that gave the former owner of the family the right to keep certain slaves beyond the formal abolition of slavery.  We tend to think of the issue of slavery as being solved in the northern states through legislative action and in …

What’s with the Short Pants?

For those of us involved in 18th Century reenactments, men in knee breeches are de rigor.  Outside of formal equestrian events, however, you rarely see such garments today.  Similarly, pants were considered foreign attire, even uncouth attire before the 14th Century in Europe. Many names have been used for men’s leg coverings through history: Latin …

How to Survey Land with 18th Century Tools – The Artificial Horizon

When taking a sight with a celestial object, the observer uses the natural or sea horizon as the line of departure.  When, however, that horizon is obscured by darkness or inclement weather such as fog, an instrument known as an “artificial horizon” is used to serve as an alternative to obtain accurate altitude readings.  Just …