Historical Tidbits — The Lightning Experiment
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 10, 1752 – Benjamin Franklin demonstrates that lightning is a form of electricity. This kite experiment will make Mr. Franklin one of the most famous men in the…
FREE BEER — sort of
Come root for the Regimental Brewmeister as we submit our Spruce Beer to the judges. This will be the beer that we brew on the green at historic Old New Castle on May 20 so there is time to see it brewed the drink as much of it as you like in Norristown on July…
Basic Colonial Brewing #11 — Managing Heat
A friend of mine recently comment that my 18th Century brewing demonstrations are so much more relaxed than what they see when modern methods are used. WOW! It must be like the duck on a pond – calm above and paddling like mad below. Even when you ignore the added complexity of simultaneously speaking to…
The Regimental Brewmeister is Seeking a New Billet
Well, after many years of faithfully serving Fort Mifflin, I sent them my notification that I am moving on to new opportunities. For most of you, this will mean that the libations at Cannonball tavern and Siege Weekend will be different. I am sure alternative arrangements will be made. If, however, your site, unit or…
Calling all Home Brewers and Beer Lovers in the Delaware Valley!
Saturday, June 17Colonial Brewing Workshop10 AM-4 PM$100 Due to the current air quality crisis, we are rescheduling this event for June 17! Yes, I know this is the weekend of Monmouth and I certainly appreciate why you might want to engage in a battle with more casualties due to the heat than gunfire but Monmouth…
Historical Tidbits — HMS Gaspee BURNED!
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 9, 1772 – The HMS Gaspee, a British customs ship that ran aground in Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island. The Gaspee, commanded by Lieutenant Dudingston, was engaged in a…
Historical Tidbits — Lord Dunmore Leaves Williamsburg
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 8, 1775 Lord Dunmore retires to British shipping. Dunmore and his family fled the Governor’s Palace in the middle of the night and took up residence aboard the Fowey. Want…
A Proper Gentleman’s Club
A couple of months ago, Randell Spackman and I were touring City Tavern in the hopes of making a bid and reopening it as a Tavern and brewery. Alas that is not to be. Interestingly though, while walking the building I commented that we needed a “Gentleman’s Club” which clearly misunderstood. Lets clarify what a…
US Marines in the American Revolution — Ohio River Row Galley
Summer 1782 As Rogers Clark was faced with the monumental task of maintaining military control over the Ohio River valley. With few men at his disposal, he decided to construct an armed row galley for use in securing the navigation of the Ohio, particularly at the mouths of the Miami River and Licking Creek. By…
Calling all Home Brewers and Beer Lovers in the Delaware Valley!
Saturday, June 17Colonial Brewing Workshop10 AM-4 PM$100 Due to the current air quality crisis, we are rescheduling this event for June 17! Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation is hosting an in depth colonial brewing workshop on 6/10/2023! Master Colonial Brewer, Michael Carver will be sharing his amazing knowledge of 18th century beer production. Have a hands on…
Beer Recipe: Valley Forge Spruce Ale
The encampment of Continental Army at Valley Forge (12/19/1777 — 6/19/1778) is known as the time of the greatest suffering. By the end of the encampment, almost a forth of the original army had died of disease, exposure, and privation. The food was said to have been both bad and infrequent. Even though food was…
Historical Tidbits — New York Restraining 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 5, 1767 The New York Restraining Act — forbade the New York Assembly and the governor of New York from passing any new bills until they agreed to…
Historical Tidbits — King George III ‘s Birthday
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 4, 1738 – King George III is born. He will rule England from 1760 to 1820. George III (Georg Wilhelm Friedrich) was born on 4 June 1738 in…
Basic Colonial Brewing #10 –Making the Brew
Once you have wort, its time to actually “brew” (from the Dutch brouwen: to bubble or effervesce) the beer. I hope by now you realize that a lot more work goes into preparing to brew than actually brewing the beer. When I do demonstrations, someone always remarks that brewing takes a long time but in…
Calling all Home Brewers and Beer Lovers in the Delaware Valley!
Saturday, June 10Colonial Brewing Workshop10 AM-4 PM$100 This event has now been opened to the general public. Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation is hosting an in depth colonial brewing workshop on 6/10/2023! Master Colonial Brewer, Michael Carver will be sharing his amazing knowledge of 18th century beer production. Have a hands on experience and take home the…
Man does not live on beer alone — Cherry Bounce
A bounce is a drink made with a mixture of alcohol and sweetened cherry juice. The earliest reference for such a drink is 1693 where it was referenced in W. Robertson’s Phraseologia Generalis as a “mingled drink” called cherrybouncer. Sometimes cherry brandy (Kirsch) was also called bounce as the two beverages are very similar. The…
Historical Tidbits — QUARTERING 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 2, 1774 – QUARTERING ACT made provisions for British troops to be given food and shelter at the expense of the American colonies, especially Massachusetts where a large…
Calling all Home Brewers and Beer Lovers in the Delaware Valley!
Saturday, June 10Colonial Brewing Workshop*Members Only*10 AM-4 PM$100 Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation is hosting an in depth colonial brewing workshop on 6/10/2023! Master Colonial Brewer, Michael Carver will be sharing his amazing knowledge of 18th century beer production. Have a hands on experience and take home the results of your work to ferment into the Spruce…
Beer Recipe: Redcoat IPA
In our modern lives, we rely on the police and the powers of government to protect our property and our most important institutions. When crimes occur, we expect our elected officials to take action and secure the peace. Consider how you would feel if your town were taken over by criminals, thugs, and miscreants? Now…
I Need Your Advice
Okay, on the Sunday before Memorial Day, I hit an impasse with one of Fort Mifflin’s event organizers. I will spare you the gory details but it was bad. I subsequently informed Fort Mifflin that I would be leaving. This was not received well and I have been fielding all sorts of pleas that I…
Historical Tidbits — Pennsylvania Evening Post
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. May 30, 1783 – The Pennsylvania Evening Post became America’s first daily newspaper. Benjamin Towne published the first issue of the Post on January 24, 1775. The paper was supportive of…
Colonial Surveyor – Determining your Position using Celestial Navigation
A sextant is an intimidating complex instrument. It consists of an A-shaped frame with an apex of 60° on a sextant or 45° on an octant. Along the rounded lower edge of the frame is an arc, the limb, that is marked with numbers for the degree of the angles that the sextant can measure. An index…
US Marines in the American Revolution — Fighting Tops
29 May 1781 Early in May 1781, the Continental frigate Alliance sailed home from France. Between the Newfoundland Banks and the American coast she moved cautiously for that stretch of water was dominated by the enemy. The weather, however, proved to be more destructive. Amid booming rolls of thunder and a heavy sea on the…
The Regimental Brewmeister is Seeking a New Billet
Well, after many years of faithfully serving Fort Mifflin, I have reached an ethical impasse over the Philadelphia Renaissance Faire. Let me be clear, this is a problem with who the Fort has chosen to rent themselves out to and not the administration of the Fort but in the end, I have sent them my…
Historical Tidbits — Virginia Plan
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. May 29, 1787 – At the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the Virginia Plan calling for a bicameral legislature, an executive, and a judiciary branch of government was proposed by…
Historical Tidbits — Last of the 13 States to Ratify the US Constitution
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. May 29, 1790 — Rhode Island became the last of the 13 States to ratify the US Constitution. Rhode Island became the 13th state to enter the Union after…
Vector Computations without the Benefit of Modern Trigonometry
Navigating from point to point is a relatively simple task for most surveyors or mariners. You establish a compass bearing from where you are to your intended location then measure out the distance (or in the case of sailing a speed and a time) to the new location giving what we call today a vector. …
Rgmt Brewmeister will not be at Renfaire!
Philadelphia Renaissance Faire May 27-29, 2023 I had previously advertised that the Regimental Brewmeister and Battlefield Brewing would be supporting the Philadelphia Renaissance Faire at Fort Mifflin. Things have changed and we have pulled out of this event. I am assured that the very capable team at Warehouse on Watts will step in and ensure…
The Westernmost Battle of the American Revolution — Fort San Carlos
Living near Philadelphia, I tend to have a very East Coast view of the American Revolution. After all, the BIG battles in North America were in New England, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, the Carolinas and Virginia. America west of the Mississippi River was a far of land deep in New Spain for most Americans in 1777. Not…
The SECOND Constitutional Congress Meets in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787
Four years after the United States won its independence from England, delegates convened in Philadelphia to compose a new U.S. Constitution. The current constitution, The Articles of Confederation, ratified several months before the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781, provided for a loose confederation of U.S. states, which totally were sovereign in most of their…
Bye Bye Miss American Pie
Well. They’ve done. On June 1, all those pretty bills in your wallet and all the theoretical dollars in all our bank and investment accounts will be worthless pieces of paper. Kevin McCarthy and the GOP have conspired to destroy the “faith and credit of the United States of America,“ and without the gold or…
“America First” is a Lie! We are an Empire and as the Worlds Greatest Empire We Must Protect Others.
Okay, I have been known to take an occasional rant against what I see as abuses by the Far Right and their puppets (like Donald Trump). Those who know me also know that I tend to be very “conservative” in my personal politics. So how can a “conservative leaning” person be so opposed to the…
Brewing Class at Colonial Plantation
On June 10th, the Regimental Brewmeister will be conducting an 18th Century brewing class at Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation in Ridley Creek State Park in Media, PA. Cost to attend is $100/person but there is a catch. You need to be a member of Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation. Colonial Pennsylvania Plantation offers a full range of weekend…
Government Red Tape
Today, “Red Tape” is a derisive term for rigid conformity to formal government regulations that slow or prevent action and decision-making. Usually applied to government and corporate bureaucracies, we associate “red tape” with filling out of seemingly unnecessary paperwork and various low-level rules that make conducting one’s affairs slower and more difficult. It may surprise…
Rgmt Brewmeister will not be at Renfaire!
Philadelphia Renaissance Faire May 27-29, 2023 I had previously advertised that the Regimental Brewmeister and Battlefield Brewing would be supporting the Philadelphia Renaissance Faire at Fort Mifflin. Things have changed and we have pulled out of this event. I am assured that the very capable team at Warehouse on Watts will step in and ensure…
FREE BEER — sort of
Come root for the Regimental Brewmeister as we submit our Spruce Beer to the judges. This will be the beer that we brew on the green at historic Old New Castle on May 20 so there is time to see it brewed the drink as much of it as you like in Norristown on July…
Beer Recipe: Victory at Yorktown
October 17, 1778, General Charles Cornwallis raised a flag of truce over the fortifications at Yorktown after having suffered not only the combined French and American attack but also disease, lack of supplies, inclement weather, and a failed evacuation. With the French navy in the York River and siege lines advancing on his position, defeat…
Jewish Pirates in Jamaica
Under Muslim rule in Spain, Jews were largely protected from persecution. This led to an explosion of Jewish culture and learning in Iberia and a very prosperous merchant class. With the Reconquista and the expulsion of the Moors from Spain, many Jews began fleeing from Spain because of the persecution of the Spanish Inquisition and,…
Rgmt Brewmeister will not be at Renfaire!
Philadelphia Renaissance Faire May 27-29, 2023 I had previously advertised that the Regimental Brewmeister and Battlefield Brewing would be supporting the Philadelphia Renaissance Faire at Fort Mifflin. Things have changed and we have pulled out of this event. I am assured that the very capable team at Warehouse on Watts will step in and ensure…
The Battle of the Frogs
In May of 1754, war broke out between Great Britain and France. The earliest hostilities in what would ultimately become a global conflict were in North American and included colonist from each country as well as several tribes of Native Americans. While major battles of this war, often called the French and Indian War in…
Historical Tidbits — New York Stock Exchange
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. May 17, 1792 – Goods, loans and future livestock began to be traded under a buttonwood tree on Wall Street in New York City. This daily meeting would eventually…
What, Behind the Rabbit?
Yes, I can help you find the Holy Grail. To the north there lies a cave, the cave of Caerbannog, where in carved in mystic runes upon the very living rock, the last words of Olfin Bedwee of Rheged. Make plain the last resting place of the most Holy Grail. “Follow…. “But ! … Follow only if…
John Adam’s Preamble to the Lee Resolution
On May 15, 1776, the Second Continental Congress passed a resolution authored by John Adams that was tantamount to a declaration of independence. With Richard Henry Lee, he put forth a resolution recommending that the individual colonies assume all powers of government — to secure ‘the happiness and safety of their constituents in particular, and…
How Cartridge Paper almost killed King George
In order to facilitate rapid loading during battle, 18th Century musket cartridges were made from rolled brownish-white paper. This paper tube held both the powder and the ball was its own self contained wadding. For training, reviews and firing a “feu de joie” or celebratory musket salute, however, blank rounds were needed. Numerous accidents were reported…
Colonial Hospitality – Spiced Pineapple Mead
They say “all work and no play makes Jack a dull boy”[i] and this has become my view on mead. Technically, mead should not be part of my portfolio[ii] as it was not particularly popular in colonial America. Keeping bees and processing honey into mead, while a straightforward and simple process, was not nearly as…
Historical Tidbits — Constitutional Convention
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. May 14, 1787 Constitutional Convention Four years after the United States won its independence from England, 55 state delegates, including George Washington, James Madison and Benjamin Franklin, convene in…
Historical Tidbits — Smallpox Vaccination.
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. May 14, 1796 – Edward Jenner publishes his procedure for smallpox vaccination. His procedure differed from previous attempts at vaccination in that he injected a milder “attenuated” version of…
Historical Tidbits — Constitutional Convention
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. May 14, 1787 Constitutional Convention Four years after the United States won its independence from England, 55 state delegates, including George Washington, James Madison and Benjamin Franklin, convene in…
Basic Colonial Brewing #9 — Mashing and Decoction
The first major step in brewing beer is to extract the fermentable sugars and starches from the malt kernels. This process is called mashing (from the German maisch: to mix). The basic idea is to harness the enzymes already present in the grain in order to digest the complex inert starches into fermentable simple sugars. …
US Marines in the American Revolution — John Adams Reviews John Paul Jones’ Marines
13 May 1779 On 13 May 1779, soon after John Adams, American Commissioner to France, arrived at the Port of L’Orient, France, on board the Continental frigate Alliance, he and 16 other officers and gentlemen were given an elegant dinner by John Paul Jones at L’Epee Royal, a fashionable inn situated on the port’s waterfront.…
Sugar Cones or Loaves and the Making of Rum
During Antiquity and the Middle Ages, sugar was rare and expensive commodity. Beginning in the 15th century, however, sugar cane plantations developed in the West Indies, then South America, particularly in Brazil. Sugar was the top colonial commodity. It was at the root of the ‘triangular trade’, where European shipowners exchanged trinkets for African men, who were then sold as slaves…
FREE BEER — sort of
Come root for the Regimental Brewmeister as we submit our Spruce Beer to the judges. This will be the beer that we brew on the green at historic Old New Castle on May 20 so there is time to see it brewed the drink as much of it as you like in Norristown on July…
PHILLY FAIRE ~ THE PHILADELPHIA RENAISSANCE FAIRE
MAY 27TH, 28TH, & 29TH AT FORT MIFFLIN! Philly Faire, the Philadelphia Renaissance Faire®, returns this year for a three-day holiday weekend run, Saturday through Monday, May 27-29, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. all three days. Attendees can explore a bustling marketplace filled with artisanal crafts, clothing, and jewelry, while enjoying a hearty meal from…
Historical Tidbits — BATTLE OF FORT TICONDEROGA
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. May 10, 1775 – BATTLE OF FORT TICONDEROGA: Benedict Arnold joined Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys in a dawn attack on the fort, surprising and capturing the…
Historical Tidbits — Fort Ticonderoga taken by Ethan Allen
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. May 10, 1775 Fort Ticonderoga taken by Ethan Allen. When Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys, accompanied by Benedict Arnold, silently rowed across Lake Champlain and captured the…
Historical Tidbits — 2nd Continental Congress
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. May 10, 1775 2nd Continental Congress As the first Continental Congress adjourned in December 1774, they agreed that should Parliament not repeal the Coercive Acts by May, they would…
Historical Tidbits — TEA 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. May 10, 1773 – TEA ACT The Tea Act of 1773 was one of several measures imposed on the American colonists by the heavily indebted British government in the…
WMD — Weapons of Musical Destruction
From 1745 to 1996, the Kingdom of Great Britain considered the bagpipes weapons of war, not instruments played in battle, like the fife and drum that is used to direct troops, but an actual physical weapon, like a sword or a musket. Those of you who have heard bagpipes may not be completely shocked, but…
What, Behind the Rabbit?
Yes, I can help you find the Holy Grail. To the north there lies a cave, the cave of Caerbannog, where in carved in mystic runes upon the very living rock, the last words of Olfin Bedwee of Rheged. Make plain the last resting place of the most Holy Grail. “Follow…. “But ! … Follow only if…
King Chuck
And now for something completely different… “Strange women lying in ponds distributing swords is no basis for a system of government. Supreme executive power derives from a mandate from the masses, not from some farcical aquatic ceremony… You can’t expect to wield supreme executive power just because some watery tart threw a sword at you!” Monte Python — Holy…
Benedict Arnold was not Alone in his Treason
Colonel Rudolphus Ritzema was an American officer in the New York Line during the American Revolutionary War, and later changed sides, serving as a lieutenant colonel in a British regiment. On June 30, 1775, Ritzema was appointed lieutenant colonel of the 1st New York Regiment. In July he seized British armaments in New York City. On November 28, 1775 he was…
Beer Recipe: “Never Surrender” Welsh Cake Porter
My friend Conner Duffy is actively working to bring another tavern to Fort Mifflin during the upcoming North American Festival of Wales in August of this year. To that end, on May 7, when the Regimental Brewmeister teaches the next 18th Century Brewing Class at Fort Mifflin, we will be brewing a Welsh Cake Porter.…
Historical Tidbits — Pontiac’s Rebellion
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. May 7, 1763Pontiac’s Rebellion begins when Ottawa Indians attach Fort Detroit. After the conclusion of the French and Indian War (1754-1763), Chief Pontiac (Ottawa) led a loosely united group…
“Beer” Recipe: John Adams — Breakfast Cider
Apple juice was fermented because before we had refrigeration, it was hard to stop that from happening — apples would just ferment naturally. When English colonists first arrived in North America, they enthusiastically embraced the wide range of wild fruits they found growing, from grapes to berries and of course, begam to make wines and…
Vive la France
Today we celebrated the French Alliance with our new nation. Born of difficult negotiation by Benjamin Franklin with King Louis and his court, the US alliance with France is one of the oldest relationships between our country and another nation. In fact, it is hard to imagine how the underarmed, undermanned, and frequently defeated Continental…
Peace or War? What ARE we talking about?
Almost all of the Abrahamic religions have a huge focus on the idea of peace. In fact, common greetings in Hebrew (שָׁלוֹם עֲלֵיכֶם — shalom aleichem) and in Arabic (ٱلسَّلَامُ عَلَيْكُمْ — as-salamu alaykum) quite literally mean “peace be upon you.” In the Anglican Church ceremony celebrating the French Alliance yesterday they opened their proceedings with…
Manhattan bought for 60 Guilder then given up for some spices
In 1609, Henry Hudson sailed up the river that would one day bear his name. The Englishman was an emissary of the Dutch and had been dispatched to chart a new passage to Asia, where the Dutch West India Company wanted to expand its trade. Hudson ultimately failed at that task, but his journey laid…
Beer Recipe: French Alliance “Myrtile” Lambic
“Myrtille” is French for Blueberry. It is popular in some so-called patriotic circles to make snarky comments about France and the French, We call them “Frogs” and complain about rescuing them from their foreign exploits like Vietnam when they hold us to high moral standards on our adventures. The fact, however, is that the United…
Historical Tidbits — Rhode Island declares independence
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. May 4, 1776 Rhode Island declares independence. Rhode Island, the colony founded by the most radical religious dissenters from the Puritans of Massachusetts Bay Colony, becomes the first North…
Freedom of Religion is Really There to Protect Religious Practice from Government Abuse
There is a growing movement in the fascist wing of the Republican Party to infuse more Protestant Christianity in to all government decisions. We see this in current anti-abortion and anti-LBGTQ laws as well as the political speech of certain candidates who wish to garner support from ultra-religious factions. These politicians believe (or at least…
What, Behind the Rabbit?
Yes, I can help you find the Holy Grail. To the north there lies a cave, the cave of Caerbannog, where in carved in mystic runes upon the very living rock, the last words of Olfin Bedwee of Rheged. Make plain the last resting place of the most Holy Grail. “Follow…. “But ! … Follow only if…
There was no SPCA in the 18th Century – Fox Tossing
Der Vollkommene Deutsche Jäger (The perfect German hunter) describes a game called Fuchsprellen or “fox tossing.” Fox Tossing was a competitive sport mostly practiced by members of the upper classes. The sport was held on a closed patch of land where people threw live foxes and other animals up high using slings, with a person…
Historical Tidbits — Battle of Crooked Billet
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. May 1, 1778 Battle of Crooked Billet The Battle of Crooked Billet was fought near the Crooked Billet Tavern (present-day Hatboro, Pennsylvania). In the skirmish action, British forces under…
The Enemy of My Enemy…
Victory in the American Revolution did not bring favorable economic news for the economy of the nrw nation. Not only was there a post-war end to military spending but Independence meant that Britain prohibited American merchants from trading directly with its possessions in the Caribbean, which had been the biggest source of their pre-Revolutionary profits.…
“He waged cruel War against Nature itself, …"
While the Continental Congress made over 86 changes to Thomas Jefferson’s original draft of the Declaration of Independence, one major change stands out. Jefferson enumerated 28 abuses and usurpations by King George and Parliament but the Congress kept only 27. They debated and ultimately deleted the following paragraph entirely: “[He] waged cruel War against Nature…
Historical Tidbits — Inauguration of Washington as President
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 30, 1789Washington sworn in as 1st President of the United States under the US Constitution On April 30, 1789, at Federal Hall in New York City, the first…
Why Char Barrels?
The wooden barrel was created around 300 BCE. To understand why brewers, vintners, and distillers use barrels; you have to look back to the Celts, those northern Europeans who lived around the Alps or what is current France and Germany before conquest by the Roman Empire. Northern Europe had timber in abundance and as these…
Historical Tidbits — Mutiny on the Bounty
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 28, 1789 Mutiny on the HMS Bounty The HMS Bounty had left England in 1787 on a mission to collect and transport breadfruit plants from Tahiti to…
Historical Tidbits — Sybil Ludington
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 28, 1777 Sybil Ludington’s night ride On April 26, 1777, Colonel Ludington received word from a rider that the nearby town of Danbury was under attack by British…
Ferdinand Magellan dies April 27 1521
Okay, so this week I broke down and used the GPS feature of my phone and was sorely disappointed. Every time I use a terrestrial GPS, I am reminded that Magellan was such a great navigator that his crew abandoned him on the battlefield and left him to be eaten by cannibals. In 1494, Portugal…
What, Behind the Rabbit?
Yes, I can help you find the Holy Grail. To the north there lies a cave, the cave of Caerbannog, where in carved in mystic runes upon the very living rock, the last words of Olfin Bedwee of Rheged. Make plain the last resting place of the most Holy Grail. “Follow…. “But ! … Follow only if…
Historical Tidbits — The Library of Congress
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 24, 1800The Library of Congress is formally established in the new US Capitol Building. The Library of Congress was established as the fledgling legislature of the new Republic…
Beer Recipe: Constitutional Debate Stout
Summer in Philadelphia can be hot and muggy. Not a time to be locked in a sealed room with locked doors and windows and 55 other delegates from all over the country trying to fix a system of government that was failing but in the summer of 1787 it had to be done. Something HAD…
Dangers of Business Interest in Government
By 1720, approximately 15% of all imports into England came from India and the British East India Company was responsible for almost all of this trade. Furthermore, the British East India Company grew so large and influential that by the 18th century it faced almost no competition for trade between England and India, that it…
US Marines in the American Revolution — Whitehaven Raid
22 April 1778 Early in April 1778, Captain John Paul Jones in the 20-gun Continental sloop Ranger sailed from Brest in France for the Irish Sea. His intention was to “end the barbarous ravages perpetuated by the British in America.” To accomplish this seemingly impossible task, he proposed to descend upon an English port, destroy…
Whose Flag is that?
Queen Elizabeth issued a Royal Charter to trade in the Indian Ocean in 1600 to the newly formed English East India Company. The EIC adopted a flag of thirteen red and white stripes with the flag of England (St George’s Cross) in the canton. This flag was chosen because many of the East India Company’s shareholders were Masons, and the…
Read the Fine Print, Keep your Powder Dry, and be Cautious of Turncoats
In the spring of 1767, Robert Clive, then a “writer” for the East India Company (EIC) planned to return to England, having earned a sizable fortune in legitimate trade of spices and textiles. Several Bengali nobles, including asked him to remain in Bengal and offered him £1 million and the EIC another £1 million if…
Loot and Plunder
One of the very first Indian words to enter the English language was LOOT, the Hindu word for plunder. To understand how this word became a common term across the British Empire in the 18th Century, take a look at the holdings of Powys Castle in Wales. Stored in great heaps in what could pass…
Fugio Pennies
The Fugio Penny, also known as the Franklin cent, was the first coin ever minted by the United States under the new US Constitution. The coin does not say “In God We Trust” or “E Pluribus Unum” on its front face. Instead, it reads “Mind Your Business.” The coin was designed by Benjamin Franklin, who most…
The Danger of Corporate Greed
In 1771, numerous American newspapers ran this excerpt of a “Letter from a Gentleman in India”: On our arrival here, we found a river full of dead human carcasses floating up and down, and the streets crowded with the dead and dying, without anyone attempting to give them relief; so horribly has the famine raged…
Historical Tidbits — Williamsburg Gunpowder Incident
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 20, 1775 Williamsburg Gunpowder Incident. On the night of April 20, Royal Navy sailors went to the Williamsburg powder magazine, loaded fifteen half barrels of powder into the…
Clive of India: Literally a Robber Baron of the 18th Century
Robert Clive, the 1st Baron Clive is also known as Clive of India and is widely credited for laying the foundation of the British East India Company (EIC) rule in Bengal after winning the Battle of Plassey in 1757. When Clive left India in January 1767, he had a fortune of £180,000 (equivalent to £25,700,000 today). On 22 November 1774…
Basic Colonial Brewing #8 — Malting the Grain
Before grain can be used to make beer, the starches stored in the kernel must be converted to fermentable sugars. The grain does this naturally as part of the germination process, so the brewer need only harness this process and then stop it before the grain sprouts to capture the sugars they need for their…
Historical Tidbits — Lexington Green
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 19, 1775 Shot heard round the world. About 700 British Army regulars were given secret orders to capture and destroy Colonial military supplies stored by the Massachusetts militia…
Basic Colonial Brewing #7 — Adapting Historic Recipes to your Brewery
When we find actual recipes from the 18th Century, whether they are for food, beer, or even chemical substances like gunpowder and soap, the recipes are vague and ambiguous by modern sensibilities. These instructions were clearly written for experts. Below you will find an example of George Washington’s Small Beer recipe, and unless you are…
Historical Tidbits — The Midnight Ride
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 18, 1775 The Midnight Ride of William Dawes and Paul Revere. Thanks to Longfellow, hardly a scholar or school child alive does not know the name of Paul…
Hop Water
Let’s start this article out with an absolute disclaimer. THIS IS NOT A COLONIAL BEVERAGE, it’s a very modern 21st Century invention but still fun. You won’t see the Regimental Brewmeister serving this or making it at demonstrations but sometimes we drink this at home. Most of us associate hops with beer, and unfortunately beer…
The danger of always marching in lockstep
If you’ve ever been part of an organization that marches — not just the military but even marching bands and re-enactors (sort of) — you know what it means to march in lockstep. Everyone steps in precision to a standard cadence (usually 120 steps/min, 28 in/step) and one person takes a step with his left…
Blacksmith On Duty
April 16 — 11am to 4pmFort Mifflin Come to Fort Mifflin on Sunday as we attempt to build field tables for our new portable bar wagon. This project is really coming together. We still need painters and artists who want to help us make this somber wagon into a festive bar. We also need people…
Historical Tidbits — Abolish Slavery!
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 14, 1775 The Society for the Relief of the Free Negros Unlawfully Held in Bondage first meets in Philadelphia. The Society for the Relief of Free Negroes Unlawfully…
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Michael Carver -- Historical Interpreter/Reenactor 