Celebration: Patriotic Holidays in Colonial America and the Early United States
On June 17, 2021, President Biden signed legislation making Juneteenth (June 19th) our 11th Federal holiday. Of these there are four...
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.
Search
- Jun 3
- 13 min
Let’s Bat that Around – The Game of Battledore and Shuttlecock
Most of us reading this article have played Badminton at one time or another. When I was growing up as a part of the Baby Boomer...
24 views0 comments
- May 6
- 11 min
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...
20 views0 comments
- Mar 25
- 12 min
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...
18 views0 comments
- Mar 11
- 12 min
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...
128 views0 comments
- Feb 11
- 13 min
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...
51 views0 comments
- Jan 28
- 10 min
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...
29 views0 comments
- Dec 30, 2021
- 9 min
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...
11 views0 comments
- Dec 17, 2021
- 11 min
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...
166 views0 comments
- Dec 3, 2021
- 21 min
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...
120 views0 comments
- Nov 19, 2021
- 13 min
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...
28 views0 comments
- Nov 5, 2021
- 9 min
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...
13 views0 comments
- Oct 21, 2021
- 20 min
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...
114 views0 comments
- Jun 4, 2021
- 19 min
Jefferson’s Embargo Act and the Depression of 1807-11
Intro For the past couple of posts, we have been discussing issues met by our nation as we tried to expand westward over the Appalachian...
632 views0 comments
- Apr 23, 2021
- 10 min
Identity for a New Nation: Federal Era Architecture and Design
When the United States first broke away from Britain and established its independence as a nation we had no “national identity.” National...
301 views0 comments
- Apr 9, 2021
- 17 min
"To Remake Society in God's Name": The Second Great Awakening and Its Effect on America
Today, one of the great “wedge issues” in the culture wars is religion and its place in American society and our government. On one...
661 views0 comments
- Mar 26, 2021
- 19 min
Building the Republic: National Banking and Finance
Today, most of us give little thought to banks. If we want to deposit our paycheck, get cash, a mortgage loan, a consumer loan, or...
35 views0 comments
- Mar 13, 2021
- 13 min
Lotteries as Public Finance
These days, when we want to fund building a public project such as roads, bridges, schools, etc., governments usually to look to issuing...
128 views0 comments
- Feb 27, 2021
- 20 min
Dolley Madison: The Nation's "First" Lady.
Monday marks the beginning of Women’s History Month 2021. The focus of this blog is always history, and so, we do not usually theme our...
222 views0 comments
- Jan 18, 2021
- 15 min
EDUCATION IN VIRGINIA DURING THE COLONIAL ERA AND THE EARLY REPUBLIC
Throughout 2020 and into the new year, our ideas of what education should look like here in Virginia have been challenged by the effects...
973 views0 comments