The Marquis de Lafayette Tours Hampton Roads
On October 22, 1824, Lafayette and his party arrived in Norfolk. This began a 3-day visit to Norfolk, Portsmouth/Gosport, and Fort Monroe.
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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.
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Sep 1611 min read
The Marquis de Lafayette: A Champion for Emancipation and Human Rights.
Gilbert du Motier, Marquis de La Fayette is perhaps most familiar to Americans as the dutiful teenage major general who served in the...
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Aug 128 min read
The Marquis de Lafayette - U.S. Citizen or Not?
In 1824, General, The Marquis de Lafayette, returned to the United States. President Monroe, with a resolution from Congress, sent an...
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Jul 3012 min read
America's First "War Between the States" - 1835-1836
After the American Revolutionary War, when was the first time that States fought a “war” against each other? Most people would answer...
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May 2921 min read
Let’s Spice Things Up – Spices Used in Colonial America and the Early Republic.
“Variety is the spice of life.” “Let’s spice things up.” “Travel is the spice of life.” From these common sayings it is obvious that...
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Apr 1215 min read
Getting a rise out of your baking – Leavening in 18th and early-19th century America.
In 21st century America, we eat many types of “bread products”. There are tortillas, pita bread, naan bread, biscuits, cookies, loaf...
340
Mar 810 min read
Unveiling the Mystery: The Phenomenon of Total Solar Eclipses in Early America
Mea Culpa. Yes, I realize that we promised an article on the origins of and how it was celebrated in early America. However, sometimes...
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Jan 255 min read
Native American Medical Practices and Uses of Plants
Editor’s note: The information in this article is strictly for educational purposes and is not a recommendation for the use of any of...
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Dec 14, 20239 min read
The Ghosts of Christmas Puddings Past
Hallo! A great deal of steam! The pudding was out of the copper. A smell like a washing-day! That was the cloth. A smell like an...
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Nov 29, 202318 min read
Healthcare and Medicinal Plants in Early North America
Editor’s note: The information in this article is strictly for educational purposes and is not a recommendation for the use of any of...
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Oct 26, 202311 min read
Halloween – Its Origins and History in Colonial and Early America
Spooky season is upon us! Halloween is the second most popular festival in the United States. In 2023, 73% of Americans plan to...
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Sep 29, 202310 min read
Native American Foods That Influenced the Diets of European Colonists.
When Christopher Columbus first sailed into the Bahama archipelago, he believed that he had reached Asia—thus the name Indian for the...
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Sep 1, 202310 min read
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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Aug 10, 202314 min read
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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Jul 20, 20237 min read
The Origins of the American Picnic
“One of the pleasantest forms of entertainment is a well-arranged picnic (if only a fine day be selected), while nothing is calculated to...
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Jul 4, 202312 min read
Henry Dearborn – Soldier, Politician, Cabinet Secretary, Diplomat
Today, unless one was born and raised in the Old Northwest Territories (particularly Michigan) or New Hampshire, you may not have ever...
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Jun 16, 202317 min read
"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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Jun 2, 202312 min read
America’s Swiss “Founding Father” – Albert Gallatin
"If any one part of the Union are suffered to oppose by force the determination of the whole, there is an end to government itself and of...
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May 19, 202310 min read
Francis Cabot Lowell and the Beginnings of American Industrial Manufacturing
The Industrialization of manufacturing in England During the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, artisans—skilled, experienced craft...
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May 5, 202311 min read
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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Apr 21, 202315 min read
Beverages of the 18th and Early 19th Centuries – Part 3 – Cocoa/Chocolate – “The Food of the Gods”
”With regard to drink, his liking was for the strongest, as it was not the flavour, but the effect, he sought for, and professed to...
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Apr 7, 202311 min read
Beverages of the 18th and Early 19th Centuries – Part 2 - Coffee
“Coffee fortifies the Stomach and Brain, promotes Digestion, allays the Head-ach, suppresses the Fumes caused by Wine, and other...
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Mar 24, 20239 min read
Beverages of the 18th and Early 19th Centuries – Part 1 - Tea
"There is more to be learned about pouring out tea and coffee, than most young ladies are willing to believe. If those decoctions are...
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Mar 10, 202310 min read
Noah Webster - Father of “American” Culture and Image in the New United States
For many of us today, the name Noah Webster Jr. is mainly remembered as the author of An American Dictionary of the English Language,”...
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