ACADEMY OF KNOWLEDGE | Norfolk Towne Assembly's Blog

Here is where we publish articles about the social, political and military history of American society during the Colonial and Early Republic Eras. Where we feel it is needed, we also examine the origins of the subject. From time to time, we will also publish articles regarding Living History interpretative skills.

Please let us know in the comments if you enjoy our posts.

2 days ago
12 min

Hands Off the Americas: The Origins of the Monroe Doctrine.

During our High School years, almost every American child ends up taking a course in American History. In that course we learn about...

Outdoor Entertainments – Quoits, The Sport of a Virginia Gentleman.

May 6
11 min

Societal/Cultural History

Outdoor Entertainments – Quoits, The Sport of a Virginia Gentleman.

As a child growing up in the Ohio River Valley, I remember being given a game of “quoits” to play with out in the yard. It consisted of...

Captured by the Spanish – The Pike Expedition – Part 2

Apr 22
13 min

Political History

Captured by the Spanish – The Pike Expedition – Part 2

In Part 1 of this series, we followed the Zebulon Pike Expedition from Fort Bellefontaine (near St. Louis) across the Great Plains and...

Exploring the New Louisiana Territory: The Pike Expedition - Part 1

Apr 8
18 min

Political History

Exploring the New Louisiana Territory: The Pike Expedition - Part 1

As we discussed in our last post, the Louisiana Purchase came about unexpectedly, and no one was sure exactly what the United States...

America’s Unplanned Expansion – The Louisiana Purchase

Mar 25
12 min

Societal/Cultural History

America’s Unplanned Expansion – The Louisiana Purchase

In 1803 the United States unexpectedly added the largest increase in land area in its history. How did this come about? Why was the...

A Revolution in Travel – early steamboat travel in the James River and the Chesapeake Bay

Mar 11
12 min

Societal/Cultural History

A Revolution in Travel – early steamboat travel in the James River and the Chesapeake Bay

For the first 180 years of the English colonies in North America, most people traveled by foot, horse, canoe, or wagon/carriage. Along...

Feb 25
7 min

Living History

Why is it Important to Study History?

In our last living history article a few weeks ago, we answered a few questions to help our readers to understand the terms we use in our...

Every Gentleman's Duty - Toasting in the 18th and Early 19th Century

Feb 11
13 min

Societal/Cultural History

Every Gentleman's Duty - Toasting in the 18th and Early 19th Century

“A Toast or Sentiment very frequently excites good humor, and revives languid conversation; often does it, when properly applied, cool...

The Most Popular Beverage in Early America

Jan 28
10 min

Societal/Cultural History

The Most Popular Beverage in Early America

Throughout the late summer, fall, and early winter, apple cider (also known as cyder in the past) is everywhere. It is a mainstay of...

Jan 14
11 min

Living History

Getting Started in Living History - Beginning Q&A

This is the first, in what we hope will be a continuing series of articles on the practice of Living History. From time to time, we will...

Dec 30, 2021
9 min

Societal/Cultural History

Wine in Early-19th Century America

New Year’s Eve is upon us. Although it is a time usually associated with champagne and other sparkling wines, we thought we would take...

Christmas Carols in the Early 19th Century

Dec 17, 2021
11 min

Societal/Cultural History

Christmas Carols in the Early 19th Century

Due to our video-centered culture today, almost any adult, and many children, are familiar with the scene from Charles Dickens’ “A...

Personal Honor and Dueling in the Early United States

Dec 3, 2021
21 min

Societal/Cultural History

Personal Honor and Dueling in the Early United States

Introduction Early on the morning of July 11, 1804, Alexander Hamilton boarded a boat with his Second and a physician and set sail from...

An Evening Out: Etiquette for the Street, House Parties, and the Dining Room

Nov 19, 2021
13 min

Societal/Cultural History

An Evening Out: Etiquette for the Street, House Parties, and the Dining Room

As we pointed out when we began this series, Regency/Federal Era period etiquette is an extremely broad subject, and we cannot cover...

Nov 5, 2021
9 min

Societal/Cultural History

The Formal Visit and the Calling Card

In our last posting, we talked about the Etiquette of the Ballroom in late-18th and early-19th century America and how it was both...

Federal Era Ballroom Etiquette – It isn’t all that clear cut.

Oct 21, 2021
20 min

Societal/Cultural History

Federal Era Ballroom Etiquette – It isn’t all that clear cut.

Our friends at the Regency Society of Virginia are having their annual Trafalgar Victory Ball this coming Saturday October 23, 2021, and...

The War of 1812 – Part 8 - Diplomacy and the Treaty of Ghent

Oct 8, 2021
21 min

Military History

The War of 1812 – Part 8 - Diplomacy and the Treaty of Ghent

Initial Attempts at Diplomacy Throughout the last five months, we have posted a series of articles looking at some of the causes leading...

The War of 1812 – Part 7 - Naval War in the Pacific

Sep 24, 2021
14 min

Military History

The War of 1812 – Part 7 - Naval War in the Pacific

In Part 6, of this series we examined the Naval Campaign in the Atlantic, focusing on the US Navy’s smaller frigates, sloops, and brigs. ...

The War of 1812 – Part 6 - Naval War in the Atlantic

Sep 10, 2021
22 min

Military History

The War of 1812 – Part 6 - Naval War in the Atlantic

In Part 1, of this series we mentioned that, despite years of provocations and diplomatic disputes, neither the US nor Great Britain were...

The War of 1812 – Part 5 - The Attack on New Orleans

Aug 27, 2021
27 min

Military History

The War of 1812 – Part 5 - The Attack on New Orleans

In Part 1 of our series on the War of 1812, we looked at operations along the Canadian border. In Part 2 and Part 3, we looked at...

The War of 1812 - Part 4 - The Southern Theater

Aug 13, 2021
18 min

Political History

The War of 1812 - Part 4 - The Southern Theater

In Part 1 of this series on the War of 1812, we looked at operations along the Canadian border. In Part 2, we looked at operations in the...

The War of 1812 Part 3 - The Chesapeake Campaign, 1814

Jul 30, 2021
33 min

Political History

The War of 1812 Part 3 - The Chesapeake Campaign, 1814

In our last post we examined the action in the Chesapeake Bay theater of operations during 1813. As we learned, the British purpose for...

The War of 1812 - Part 2: The Chesapeake Campaign - 1813

Jul 16, 2021
15 min

Military History

The War of 1812 - Part 2: The Chesapeake Campaign - 1813

In our last post we examined the action in the War of 1812 along the US/Canadian border and in the Old Northwest Territories. As we saw,...

The War of 1812 - Part 1; The Northern and Western Theater

Jul 2, 2021
28 min

Military History

The War of 1812 - Part 1; The Northern and Western Theater

As we have discussed in previous posts, the real origins of the War of 1812 were in the conflict that raged in Europe for two decades...