James Barbour – Governor, Senator, Cabinet Secretary, and Diplomat
As we have seen in previous posts, in the early years of the United States men with leadership abilities tended to become prominent, thru...
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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.
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- Aug 10
- 14 min
Where There's Smoke, There's Barbecue
Man has grilled meat over open flames since he first discovered how to make fire. As a result, outdoor cooking has been a part of every...
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- Jun 16
- 17 min
"The Great Compromiser" - Henry Clay
In the formative period of the American Republic, one of the most prominent people in American politics was Henry Clay of Kentucky. From...
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- May 5
- 11 min
Negotiator, Lawyer, Representative, Senator, and Commissioner - Littleton Waller Tazewell.
Littleton Waller Tazewell was born in Williamsburg, Va. on December 17, 1774, almost 150 years after his first ancestor left England for...
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- Feb 24
- 12 min
Worth its Weight in Salt - History of Salt and its Importance in Early America
Today, in 2023, we here in the United States, take salt for granted. If we need it, we just run down to the corner market and pick up a...
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- Jul 2, 2022
- 17 min
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...
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- May 6, 2022
- 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...
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- Jul 30, 2021
- 33 min
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...
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- Jul 16, 2021
- 15 min
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,...
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- Jun 18, 2021
- 14 min
Provocation Toward War: The Chesapeake-Leopard Affair
In recent posts, we have talked about both Indian trouble in the Northwest Territories and the Embargo Act, and its successors as some of...
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- 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...
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- 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...
206 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...
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- 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...
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- Jan 4, 2021
- 17 min
Let Us Share a Bowl Together – Punch, the Forerunner of the Modern Cocktail
“A merry Christmas, Bob!” said Scrooge, with an earnestness that could not be mistaken, as he clapped him on the back. “A merrier...
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- Dec 21, 2020
- 20 min
A Holiday Horror Story: The Richmond Theatre Fire of 1811
2020 has been very “different” compared to most other years and so, our Christmas post this year is going to be “different” as well. The...
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- Dec 4, 2020
- 8 min
George Washington's 1791 Southern Tour - Part 2: The Way Home.
In our previous post, “George Washington’s Southern Tour – Part 1”, we wrote about the reasons Washington had for undertaking tours of...
365 views1 comment
- Nov 20, 2020
- 11 min
George Washington’s 1791 Southern Tour – Part 1: The Journey South
When he became President, George Washington wanted to learn as much as he could about the United States and its people. As president,...
499 views1 comment
- Nov 6, 2020
- 13 min
1804 - Mass Destruction and a "Snow Hurricane"
The 2020 Atlantic hurricane, now winding down, has arguably been one of the most active ever. With this in mind, I thought it might be...
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- Sep 25, 2020
- 15 min
All the World's a Stage: Theatre in Colonial and Early America
Publisher’s Note: I originally authored this article in 2015 for another blog that I was writing for at the time. I have since rewritten...
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