Passion for the Past

Friday, March 13, 2026

Being A Part of America 250---The Semiquincentennial of 2026---"Chasing Liberty" at the Lorenzo Cultural Center

Since 2022 I have been posting a lot about the Bicentennial, celebrating America's 200th birthday (see links at the bottom of this post).

The Bicentennial took place in 1976, so well, now, here we are, 50 years later and we're celebrating America's 250th!! And I'm even more escited!

The Semiquincentennial of 2026~~~

From Kayla Svisco - Manager of Cultural Programs & Exhibits, Lorenzo Cultural Center:

"This spring at the Lorenzo Cultural Center we commemorate the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence with our exhibit and programming series, Chasing Liberty. By examining the conditions of people before, during, and after the American Revolution, we aim to reflect on the ways in which the ideals and actions of the era shaped the lives of all.

Recognition of the Semiquincentennial of America is taking place across the country. There are many events and initiatives meant to honor this anniversary, including America 250MI. We are proud to be a part of this statewide calendar of recognized anniversary events. Chasing Liberty, which runs from March 2nd to May 2nd, features a schedule of over 30 programs, alongside our large-scale exhibit in Discovery Hall.

The exhibit features historical items on loan from other institutions including The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation, the Detroit Historical Museum, the Romeo Historical Museum, private collectors, and more! See for yourself pelts and furs from the fur-trade era, which helped set the stage for the Revolution; muskets and pistols like those carried by American Patriots; a pair of silver candlesticks used by the family of founding father Alexander Hamilton; and even a fragment of the wooden coffin that once entombed our nation's first president, George Washington.

Our programming lineup is packed with diverse and exciting presentations! We welcome experts from across the country to present on topics ranging from the revolutionary economy and indigenous nations to the Declaration of Independence in the news, soldiers' foodways, and everything in between."

(From the Chasing Liberty program)

Inside the exhibit area are multi-video screens.
I snapped a quick-pic of the Betsy Ross flag as it was shown waving.

I absolutely am tickled that we, my good friend Larissa and I, were a part of this extraordinary celebration!

It is such an honor to be included in this wonderful celebration of America's birthday and history. And our presentation went to well - probably our best one yet. To begin with, we had over a hundred people show up to see us---possibly our largest audience.

As you can see, there's a lot going on here in Macomb County to celebrate America's 250th. -
Check out the 2nd one on the list - Friday March 6!

~ ~ ~

The excitement I felt all through that year back in 1976 is actually still with me, even after 50 years. 1976 - the Bicentennial year - affected me beyond almost anything else. I was just a teenager...and the current music of the time was my soundtrack: Led Zeppelin's Presence, The Rolling Stones' Black and Blue, Steve Miller Band's Fly Like an Eagle, and the live Joe Walsh album, You Can't Argue With A Sick Mind -- I wore the grooves out of those albums.

Yep----my spirit of '76 soundtrack. Well, I'm still listening to those albums all these many years later, though they're on CD now (no, I don't stream).

I would skim through the local papers - Detroit News, Detroit Free Press - looking for anything Bicentennial, then cut out the articles.

Wish I still had my scrap book.

So here we in 2026 and we are celebrating America's 250th.

Is it seriously 50 years later?!? Doesn't seem like it.

But we are - - and guess what? This time I am a part of it!

Take a quick glance at the three trifold flyer pictures below to see what Macomb College/Lorenzo Cultural Center has to offer:

Celebrating America250 with a bang!

Now, for our presentation, Larissa & I do not speak of the Revolutionary War - we speak on homelife during the time of that War for Independence. In other words, our job was to tell the audience what life was like at home before the men went to war. It helps to immerse the visitor into the times to give a fuller understanding of the era.

Macomb College is doing it right~
Being a patriot doesn't mean you are Democrat or Republican.
It means you are an American.

"Estimates vary slightly, but in the 1750's, there was an estimated English population of 1.2 million people. At its height, only about 20 to 30 thousand, or roughly about 2.5% of the population, were directly involved in the military. What about the other 97 percent?

They were the Farmers, Shopkeepers, Tavern keepers, Midwives, and other civilians that continued to go about their daily lives, in spite of the European power struggles going on around them."

The above quote is from the Colonial Living History Alliance~

And so if you look closely~~~~~

There we are at the very top - Larissa & I doing what we do best!
And friend Barb was there as well, teaching folks to write with a quill pen and ink!

The night before I had a tough time relaxing enough to fall asleep. I mean, this is a big deal. As a proud patriot, being a part of such a celebration means the world to me, and I know it does to Larissa as well, and I was really wanting it to go well. So my mind was racing in all different directions. I finally did fall asleep, but I awakened around 4 a.m. and pretty much lay in bed, dozing and awakening until it was time to get up for good. I had packed up quite a bit of my 18th century artifacts and was soon ready to go.

This is what greeted us as we entered the front doors of the Lorenzo Cultural Center.

Having these displays as well as historic presenters just brings it all alive.
Museums can learn from this, in more ways than one.

Informational banners were set up throughout.

Getting ready to sign the Declaration.

I believe that is John Hancock with the Declaration.

Onto the presentations~~~~~

Written in the booklet for Larissa & I:

Daily Life Re-enactment and Signing Event
Ken Giorlando and Larissa Fleishman will discuss and depict the daily lives of those who lived in Colonial America in the 18th century, across all four seasons.

Ken Giorlando and Larissa Fleishman, speakers

Ken and Larissa have been presenting together as a farming couple for over a decade. Both have been living historians for over two decades.

Barb Baldinger, speaker

She is a member of the Lac Ste. Claire Habitants et Voyageurs de Detroit. They portray life in the early days of Detroit by dressing in the 18th century attire while reenacting the lives and skills of that era at various events throughout the year.

Me & Larissa~
For this picture I am wearing my cocked (tricorn) hat!
I wore my wide-brimmed farm hat during our presentation.

A saxony spinning wheel, a butter churn, a flail, a toaster, lighting/candles including a bettylamp, candle molds, various stages of dipped candles (thanks Micki!), a lantern with a cow's horn translucent, a winnowing basket, sugar cone and nippers, spider fry pan, pipkin, a trencher, textiles including flax, wool, and linen, carding paddles, a broom, and a number of other items to show 18th century life.

Artifacts that would have been commonplace in an 18th century farmhouse.

The handout booklet~

Just a wonderful souvenir of America 250!

I was a little nervous, but not too bad. We were the first actual presentation for this exhibit so we had little idea what to expect. I can't tell you how pleased I was to see a packed house!

Yes...we were very pleased.

Barb Baldinger took a wonderful photo from the back of the room - this is showing only part of the audience.

I began the presentation by telling the audience that the past is a foreign place - a different mindset and a different culture. And I alluded for them to get rid their mind of the here and now and to please put themselves into the past - into our world of the 1770s. I also mentioned that 90% of the populace in the 1770s were farmers, therefore our talk would center around a farm family's life.

Somehow that stick in my hand makes my booming voice even boomier~
Normally my voice carries and I don't need an electronic devise. But this time I did.

Larissa had some small item attached to her dress that made her voice boom louder as well.

These new-fangled inventions will never catch on!

Barb Baldinger:
a member of the Lac Ste. Claire Habitants et Voyageurs de Detroit, who portray life in the early days of Detroit by dressing in 18th century attire while reenacting the lives and skills of that era at various events throughout the year.
Here she gave folks the opportunity to write with quill & ink by signing their name to a copy of the Declaration of Independence.

As Barb wrote on her Facebook page:
Today was the "Daily Life Re-enactment & Signing Event" at the Lorenzo Cultural Center, as part of the Chasing Liberty exhibit. It was written up as follows: "Ken Giorlando and Larissa Fleishman will discuss and depict the daily lives of those who lived in Colonial America in the 18th century, across all four seasons.

Attendees will have the unique opportunity to experience writing with a quill feather pen, guided by Barb Baldinger, adding a hands-on touch to the historical journey."

The center printed out copies of the Declaration of Independence for people to sign. I had them practice writing their signature with one of my quill pens on a card first, then they could sign and take home their own copy of the Declaration of Independence. It was a lot of fun with about 100 participants!

We brought along a good many collectibles to accent our presentation.
And then there's us - Myself, Larissa, and Barb (Baldinger) - we're pretty collectible (lol)

During our talk, I did my Jethro Tull joke. Those roughly 45 years of age and up get it - any younger and they usually don't---unless they're like my kids who grew up listening to a good variety of old and new music.

Anyhow, I like to let our audience know that George Washington was quite a fan of Jethro Tull. Yes, it's true---Washington was a strong proponent of the agricultural methods championed by Jethro Tull, the inventor of the seed drill. As an enthusiastic "scientific farmer," Washington was heavily influenced by the English agricultural revolution and implemented many of Tull's ideas, including the use of horse-drawn machinery to sow seeds in rows rather than broadcasting them by hand.

Washington may have liked Jethro Tull, but I'm sure he did not like beetles - no farmer wants beetles in his garden!

Jethro Tull's book from 1733.
Washington farmed by this book!
A great fan of Jethro Tull, he was~~

As mentioned, we spoke on a year in the life on an 18th century farm and included many farming activities and chores of the period, including...

Winnowing.
I had wheat from last year, some still on the stalk,
so part of my speech explained the winnowing process.
(such a look on my face - ooooo)

After our presentation was over, and after about 15 minutes of questions & answers, Larissa and I took time to walk around the exhibit area.

It is SO impressive! My gosh! Kayla certainly went far and beyond --- she did honor to our country.

This looks to be a life-size display of our founding fathers ghathered together to discuss the Declaration of Independence.

While roaming through the wonderful display, Larissa posed with "her man" - President Washington

(even though George's wife was next to him lol)~

Since Larissa and I did our presentation there, I've been back to visit to really take my time to give a closer look at the displays as well as to see a few other events and speakers on their calendar, including an event called, "Revolutionary Encounters": Experience history come alive as Museum Theater actors perform short, interactive scenes within the exhibit on select days. Our exhibit comes to life as the actors from our Museum Theater program engage and interact with visitors in short, impromptu performances within the exhibit.

Once Congress approved the draft fair copy of the Declaration of Independence on July 4th, 1776, it was taken to printer John Dunlap that very afternoon to typeset and print copies. John Dunlap, the "official printer to the Continental Congress," was born in Strabane, Northern Ireland in 1746 and came to the American Colonies as a boy of ten. He was apprenticed to his uncle William Dunlap, a printer in Philadelphia, whose shop was located just blocks away from the State House (Independence Hall).

The actor portraying Mr. Dunlap chose Jackie from the audience (of all people lol) to pretend to print copies as an apprentice, so Jackie mimicked him as he walked her through the steps of printing the broadsides.

I don't remember all of the steps, but Jackie mimicked each one...

It's easy to see this one is putting on the ink

I believe she is pulling down the printing lever.

Voila!
We have a printed copy of the Declaration of Independence!

There was another interactive meeting of the past:
Mary Katharine Goddard (1738–1816) was a pioneering American publisher, printer, and the first female postmaster in the United States. She is most famous for printing the Goddard Broadside in January 1777, which was the first version of the Declaration of Independence to include the signers names/signatures.

Mary Katherine Goddard
This is another Macomb Theater actor, and she handed out a piece of printed paper "Address to the Ladies" and had some of the women in the audience taking turns by reading a few lines each.

"Address to the Ladies," published in 1767-1768, was a popular American Revolutionary-era poem urging young women in towns and surrounding areas to support the boycott of British goods. It advised wearing homemade ("homespun") linen, rejecting imported goods, and replacing British tea with local substitutes.

The poem, often called "Young Ladies in Town" or "To Our Ladies," first appeared in Boston newspapers to support non-importation agreements.

It asked women to reject expensive imported brocades and ribbons ("topknots of pride") in favor of locally made cloth, framing "homespun" as fashionable and patriotic.

The poem suggested that young ladies should refuse to marry men who wore "London factory" goods, encouraging them to support only those who bought American-made products. Women were urged to stop drinking British tea (Bohea or Green Hyson) and instead drink local alternatives like Labradore.

Women were essential to the success of these boycotts because they managed the household budgets and were the primary producers of clothing. By wearing homespun dresses—even to elite social balls—these "Daughters of Liberty" made a powerful political statement that significantly hurt British trade exports to the colonies.

This was another enjoyable display.

Jackie will be portraying Mercy Otis Warren
this coming 4th of July

Mercy Otis Warren (1728–1814) was a prominent American playwright, poet, and historian who became one of the most influential political writers of the American Revolution.

In 1805, she published the three-volume History of the Rise, Progress, and Termination of the American Revolution. This work made her the first female historian in the U.S. and provided an "insider" account based on her close ties to founding figures.

Born in Barnstable, Massachusetts, she was the sister of James Otis Jr., the lawyer famous for the phrase "no taxation without representation".

She maintained lifelong, though sometimes contentious, correspondences with John and Abigail Adams, George Washington, and Thomas Jefferson. Her critical portrayal of John Adams in her 1805 history led to a famous break in their friendship that lasted until 1812.

She married James Warren, a merchant and prominent Massachusetts politician, in 1754, who encouraged her writing. Their home in Plymouth, Massachusetts served as a hotbed for revolutionary activity.

Mercy Otis Warren

Phillis Wheatley (c. 1753–1784) was a pioneering author and the first African American woman to publish a book of poetry.

Born in West Africa and captured from the Senegambia region at age seven or eight, she was brought to Boston on the slave ship Phillis, from which she was given her name. Purchased by the Wheatley family, she was tutored by their children in English, Latin, Greek, and the Bible. Within 16 months, she could read complex literary and religious texts. She published her first poem at age 14 and gained international notoriety with her 1770 elegy (a poem of serious reflection, typically a lament for the dead) for evangelist George Whitefield.

Because many doubted a slave could write such sophisticated verse, 18 prominent Bostonians, including John Hancock, signed an attestation in 1772 certifying her authorship. Phillis was a strong supporter of the American Revolution, and wrote a poem in 1775 praising George Washington, who subsequently invited her to meet him.

She was freed by the Wheatley family shortly after her book was published in 1773. She died in Boston on December 5, 1784, at the age of 31. Today, she is honored as the "Mother of African American Literature".

And there was a nice display on the various men and women who wrote on the Revolution in various ways, whenther by published book or news media:

All about the 18th century media.

I hope these are all legible for my readers.
Click the pictures to enlarge~

These informational segments give the visitor a good overview of the subject.

A bit about Stephen Hopkins, Richard Henry Lee, Thomas Jefferson, & John Dickinson.

Can't leave out Benjamin Franklin, nor John or Sam Adams!

The next presenter I saw was food historian Jeff Pavlik

Jeff Pavlik, speaker

Jeff Pavlik is a professional historian and chef who teaches culinary arts at Lincoln High School in Warren (Michigan). For 25 years he owned and operated a bakery in Farmington (Michigan). During this time he continued his passion for historical reenacting and research, learning the skills of an 18th century soldier. He has published several articles on the breads of the American Revolution and given workshops to museum staff across the country on 18th century foodways.

For Jeff's presentation on March 11:
Discover the rations, improvisation, and ingenuity that sustained Continental soldiers during the War for Independence through authentic stories and artifacts.

Taste of Revolution: Soldiers’ Food in the War for Independence

Look into the pack of a Continental soldier and discover what food sustained him through the War for Independence. Explore the rations he received to wage war, and the many ways he had to improvise and and endure in the face of hunger and hardship. See how these soldiers used ingenuity to prepare their meager supplies, using the simplest of tools and makeshift equipment to cook their meals. Listen to their own voices as they describe what - and how - they ate while fighting for freedom.

Jeff did a power point presentation

But he also brought along with him samples and measured amounts according the what was listed on the rations list.

Here we see rations for Revolutionary War soldiers:
1 pound salt beef or 12 oz. salt pork
2 pounds of flour or bread (I see hard bread in the picture. It was not called hardtack until the 19th century.
6 cups of peas or beans
1 cup or rice or 2 cups of cornmeal
and various other foodstuff & necessities - coming from George Washington

He also spoke on spruce beer.

Jeff and his bread.

Another large crowd was there to watch Jeff's presentation. I love that so many people have a love for our nation's past. My biggest complaint, however, is that too many people still believe the myths they've been brainwashed into thinking are truths. Just read the majority of Facebook memes. Most of these memes are so instilled into the minds of people that if you disagree with fact they respond in a deragatory manner in an attempt to make you look foolish. This happens to me frequently, even sometimes from some who are actual "historians." That's one of our reasons why we do what we do, to help dispel the myths! Jeff knows his historical facts. Excellent! I learned quite a bit!

Intersperced among the nationally-based Revolutionary War information is a lot of local Michigan history as well.
Perfect!

Then, on Friday the 13th (of March), I went back yet again, this time to hear about "Detroit in 1776."

Bill Pringle, speaker

Bill Pringle is curator of Collections at the Detroit Historical Society, where he helps develop exhibits and care for the society's extensive collection of artifacts.

For Bill's presentation on March 13:

Detroit's century-deep Colonial past and its blend of French, British, and American loyalties was shaped by remaining under British rule until 1796. The stage is set for a compelling presentation on how this unique frontier community evolved during the nation's founding.

Detroit in 1776

As Jefferson, Adams, and Franklin drafted the Declaration of Independence in 1776, Detroit was already an influential settlement, with nearly a century of colonial history under its belt. Even after the American Revolution had succeeded, Detroit remained British until 1796 and its residents represented a fascinating mixture of French, British, and American ideologies and loyalties.

Bill Pringle
curator of Collections at the Detroit Historical Society

Sadly, due to a massive windstorm, no technology was able to be utilized, so Bill told us everything without the benefit of visuals.

Friday the 13th indeed!

Pretty boring, eh?
Not. At. All.

In fact, quite the opposite. Listening to his stories and historical facts, with the way he was able to fluctuate his voice, brought Detroit history to life. It was very immersive, to be honest.

Just excellent!

March 13 was a very windy day to the extreme and knocked out the technology, so Bill could not use his power point.
This is the one picture that I was able to snag before it went down.

Now let's check out more from the exhibit.

Regular readers of Passion for the Past may recall the frequent times I reenact and participate with the wonderful and unique living history group known as the Voyageurs, the reenactors in which the aforementioned Barb Baldinger belongs. Well, not only did a dozen or so come out and see mine and Larissa's talk, but they also set up a display of their own, showing Michigan and Detroit history.

They did a bang-up job!

Centering on the Michigan fur trade.

Voyageur information
By clicking the picture, you can enlarge it.
All of the photos in my blog are set that way, in fact.

There was a colonial, or perhaps a frontier, kitchen display set up.

An 18th century drum -
see information below:

An actual 18th century drum!

Information about the letter below:

An original letter from Alexander Hamilton to Aaron Burr from 1786

Also, in relation to Alexander Hamilton:

Late 18th century Candlesticks once belonging to the Hamilton Family, as noted below:

The information about the candlesticks.

Wife of one president and mother of another, Abigail Adams was a true founding member of the birth of our nation. She was her husband, John's, right-hand helper. Beyond her domestic role, she served as her husband’s most trusted political confidante. Her intellect was so respected that critics sometimes kiddingly referred to her as "Mrs. President".

Here is a collection of 18th century kitchen ware: forks, spoon, knives, pewter plates and cup, earthenware porringer, showing homelife during the Revolutionary War.

Quite a display, eh?

I am so very proud of Macomb County Community College and the Lorenzo Cultural Center for not only taking part in America 250, but for doing such a fantastic job!

Thank you, Kayla!!.

We have more presentations yet to come this year.

The very next day, a few of us practiced what we preached at this presentation and spent a day in the 18th century at the log cabin house in Waterloo Farm Museum.

That's up for next week's Passion for the Past posting.

Our cabin excursions, where we have, so far, experienced living in the 18th century for 35 days (no, not all at once, lol), have helped Larissa and I greatly. Now add her 25 years of experience working and presenting at the 1760s Daggett House at Greenfield Village, and you can see we done some pretty exceptional period things.

As for this event at Macomb College's Lorenzo Cultural Center, this was only the beginning. This is the year - this 250th anniversary year of 2026 - where I make a grand attempt to make up for all of the exciting historical things I could not do back during the Bicentennial of 1976.

I'm trying, oh Lord, I certainly am!

Until next time, see you in time.

Thank you to the photographers who took pictures - Barb Baldinger, Jean Cook, and also Micki Smith-who also took a few with my camera.I even took quite a few shots as well.

~{}{}{}{}{}{}{}{}~

Below here are a number of links that can add to today's post.

If you would like to read my post on a wonderful exhibit inside the Henry Ford Museum, you would definitely want to click

With Liberty and Justice For All

The Henry Ford Museum has amassed a very large collection of Revolutionary War-era objects over the years. Perhaps the largest - or one of the largest - outside of the east coast. It is an amazing assemblage of original Revolutionary War artifacts on display for all the world to see, telling the story of America's fight for Independence. An original Stamp Act notification. A letter written by Benedict Arnold. George Washington's camp bed, a coffee pot made by Paul Revere, a writing desk that once belonged to Thomas Jefferson...yeah...this is some great stuff here!

These artifacts had been displayed prominently during the Bicentennial in 1976. The Henry Ford has since put many of those objects in their "With Liberty and Justice For All" exhibit. I did a posting based solely around the 18th century items...and here 'tis. (too bad they are not having a special display for America's 250th).

Here are links posts of links connecting you to a few of my Revolutionary War posts. Sort of an all in one package.

Links to the American Revolution

Revolutionary Greenfield Village

Interested in Revolutionary War era flags?
Click HERE to see my collection of replications.

How about my collection of Paul Revere collectibles and a 250th commemoration - - click HERE

I've written a blog post about a year on a colonial farm HERE

Are you interested in my Bicentennial posts?
Here's what I wrote in 2022

2023

2024

2025

Perhaps you are interested in seeing what a Lac Ste. Claire Habitants et Voyageurs de Detroit encampment is like (including some French and some English)

click HERE

and/or click HERE

A few of us "live" 18th century life quite often throughout the four seasons of the year. We call these times "Experiencing our research." If you are interested in our time at the frontier colonial cabin, check out the links below:

Here is a complete list with links for all of our colonial cabin excursions, mostly centering around agriculture, but also including our celebrations of holidays such as Candlemas, Rogation Sundays, and Lammas Day celebrations (remember - each year listed here we are representing 250 years earlier:

2020 = 1770

2021 = 1771

2022 = 1772

2023 = 1773

2024 = 1774

2025 = 1775

And this year being 2026---well, that will be 1776 for us!

~To read about our 2020 autumn harvest excursion - our first time at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 wintertime excursion at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 springtime excursion at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 summertime excursion at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 summer harvesting of the flax at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about our 2021 autumn excursion - click HERE

~To read about our 2022 winter excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2022 spring excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2022 summer excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2022 autumn excursion at the cabin (Pioneer Day) - please click HERE

~To read about our 2023 winter excursion at the cabin (Candlemas) - please click HERE

~To read about our 2023 spring excursion at the cabin (Rogation Sunday) - please click HERE

~To read about our 2023 late spring at the cabin - click HERE

~To read about the 2023 early summer - please click HERE

~To read about the 2023 summer (Lammas Day) - please click HERE

~To read about the 2023 autumn Pioneer Day - please click HERE

~To read about our 2023 Thanksgiving harvest celebration - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 Winter experience at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 spring excursion at the cabin - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 late spring with just Patty & I - click HERE

~To read about our 2024 summer (Lammas Day) - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 mid-and-late-summer - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 mid-September - click HERE

~To read about our 2024 autumn Pioneer Day Celebration - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 Thanksgiving Harvest - please click HERE

~To read about our 2024 Christmas at the Farm Cabin presentation - please click HERE

~To read about our 2025 winter & Candlemas Day - please click HERE

~To read about our 2025 spring/early May Rogation Sunday excursion - please click HERE

~To read about our 2025 Memorial Day/Late May visit, please click HERE

~To read about our 2025 (Lammas Day) Celebration, please click HERE

~To read about our 2025 September visit with my grandson experiencing living history, click HERE

~To read about our 2025 Pioneer Day event, please click HERE

~To read about our 2025 Harvest Thanksgiving Celebration (including my grandson!), click HERE

~To read about our 2025 Christmas experience, please click HERE

That makes 34 days spent in the good old colony days!

And the day after this presentation I did my 35th day!

Find grave of James Otis for other blog post

James Otis (1725–83) was a lawyer in Massachusetts and a member of the Massachusetts Legislature. In the mid-1760s he wrote a number of important pamphlets in favor of American independence and is said to have coined the revolutionary phrase “no taxation without representation”.

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Friday, March 6, 2026

Celebrating Daily 18th Century Life: March

I've written daily life posts often enough. However, I am beginning a new series here and taking it month-to-month, beginning with March. It's based on a post I did back in 2018, which is a fairly long blog post, for it includes all 12 months of the year plus some extra information...so what I'm doing here is for each month to have its own posting separately with extra added information per month. I'm just trying to keep everything concise.

I hope you enjoy this monthly series.

But before we dive into 18th century daily life, let's put ourselves into their time to give us a better understanding of their mind set.

During the 18th century, approximately 90% of the American colonial population were farmers - George Washington, John Adams, Thomas Jefferson were all farmers - with agriculture serving as the primary livelihood for the vast majority of households. Most families engaged in subsistence farming (where farmers grew food mainly to sustain themselves and their families, with little to no surplus for trade), while others focused on large-scale cash crops.

.........._.........

So, the plan is to begin this series with the month of March.

March?

Why are we beginning our year in March and not January?

Because, at one time, March was the 1st month of the year, and New Year's Day was March 25 - close to spring.

You see, according to the ancient Julian Calendar, New Year's Eve was on the evening of March 24, and therefore, New Year's Day was March 25th.

It may be March, but it is often still wintery cold.

It can get a bit complicated:

I can only imagine the confusion

this caused.

according to numerous sources (THIS site and THIS site.), it was way back in 45 B.C., that Julius Caesar ordered a calendar consisting of twelve months based on a solar year. This calendar employed a cycle of three years of 365 days, followed by a year of 366 days (leap year). When first implemented, the "Julian Calendar" also moved the beginning of the year from March 1st to January 1st. However, following the fall of the Roman Empire in the fifth century, the beginning of the new year was gradually realigned to coincide with Christian festivals. By the seventh century AD, Christmas Day marked the beginning of the new year in many countries.

But it was in the ninth century that parts of southern Europe began observing the first day of the new year on March 25 to coincide with Annunciation Day, or Lady Day, when Christians celebrate the Feast of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin. This was the church holiday that occurred nine months prior to Christmas celebrating the Angel Gabriel's revelation to the Virgin Mary that she was to be the mother of the Messiah. A fine example of this new year date comes from Adam Winthrop, when, on March 25, 1620, he wrote in his diary, "The new year beginneth."

And because the year began in March, records referring to the first month pertain to March; to the second month pertain to April, etc., so that "the 19th of the 12th month" would be February 19. In fact, in Latin, September means seventh month, October means eighth month, November means ninth month, and December means tenth month. Use of numbers for months, rather than names, was especially prevalent in Quaker records.

So, why the change from March to January?

During the Middle Ages, it became apparent that the Julian leap year formula had overcompensated for the actual length of a solar year, having added an extra day every 128 years. However, no adjustments were made to compensate. By 1582, seasonal equinoxes were falling 10 days "too early," and some church holidays, such as Easter, did not always fall in the proper seasons. So in that year of 1582, Pope Gregory XIII authorized the "Gregorian" or "New Style" Calendar. As part of the change, ten days were dropped from the month of October, and the formula for determining leap years was revised so that only years divisible by 400 (e.g., 1600, 2000) at the end of a century would be leap years. January 1st was then established as the first day of the new year.

However, though most Roman Catholic countries adopted this, Protestant countries, including England and its colonies, did not recognize the authority of the Pope and continued to use the Julian Calendar.

March 24th - New Year's Eve - Seeing the old year out, and welcoming the new year in.

So between 1582 and 1752, not only were two calendars in use in Europe (and in European colonies), but two different starts of the year were in use. Although the "Legal" and more traditional year began on March 25, the use of the Gregorian calendar by other European countries led to January 1st becoming more commonly celebrated as "New Year's Day" and given as the first day of the year in almanacs.

It wasn't until 1750 that an act of Parliament in England changed the calendar dates to align with the Gregorian Calendar, meaning that they now also began their legal new year on January 1st.

Henceforth, New Year's celebrations will take place on the evening of December 31st and lasting into the following day.

Is my birthday on

February 11?

February 22?

Heck! I'll take 'em both!

I hope you're good at math - - for as a result and to become aligned, people born before 1752 had to add 11 days to their birth dates. For example, the day following February 1st in that year was not February 2nd. It was February 11th. Also, those individuals born between January 1st and March 24th before 1752 had to add a year to be in sync with the new calendar, for reason being the change of New Year's Day going from March 25th to January 1st. This confusing double dating process was used in Great Britain and its colonies, including America.

Whew! Did you get all that?

Read it again...slowly...out loud. It actually does make sense,

Now, imagine if, like George Washington, your birth occurred during this time; for 47 of his 67 years, Washington celebrated two birthdays. The first was the date on which he was born in 1732 - February 11th.

The second took place on his Gregorian birthday, on February 22nd.

Although at first many colonial communities refused to go along with this, George Washington apparently took the change in stride and, from 1752 on, accepted February 22nd as his birthday. On the other hand, he didn’t completely ignore his old February 11th birthday. For instance, in 1799 he attended a gala birthday party in his honor in Alexandria, Virginia, on February 11th, writing in his diary that night that he “went up to Alexandria for the celebration of my birthday.”

Eleven days later, on February 22nd, 1799, he celebrated his second birthday of that year which turned out to be the last of his life. He died ten months later, on the evening of December 14, 1799.

Continuing onward as a colonial farmer, many farmers of the later 18th century continued to think of March as the beginning of the new year after the change, and they did so clear into the 19th century...and some even into the 20th century. And why wouldn't they, for February's last days remained as they had always kept it, and accounts and diaries were closed and inventories were made. There was talk of spring and the new farm year. All farm calendars and diaries, almanacs and agricultural manuals continued to appropriately (for them) begin with March. Sap was running...it was the season of preparations for planting, for a turning out of the winter dirt, a time for leaving the winter darkness and cold behind to look toward sunny warmth and renewal...a time for preparing for the rest of the year...rebirth.

"The new year is at our door," says a diary entry of the period, "spring is with us in March when we are yet sitting by the fireside..."

The majority of the populace in 18th century America knew the need to accomplish a successful growing season was of utmost importance, It would set the pace for the rest of the year.

I can see why March 25 - so close to the vernal equinox - was considered New Year's Day.

The sun rises on a new spring.

~or~

The sun rises on a new year.

Either way, Springtime truly is the season of rebirth.

(This photo of the Daggett Farm House was taken by Tom Kemper just before
the first sunrise of Spring in 2023 - - that moment between dawn and sunrise~)

Now, let's make that even more confusing.

As it stands right now, according to our calendar (which is calculated astronomically), winter begins right around December 21st, and summer usually begins around June 21st. And then the spring comes between March 19th and 21st, depending on the year. and most years, autumn will occur on September 22nd or 23rd. Every now and then, it could happen on September 21st or 24th, but the last time we had a September 21st fall equinox was over a thousand years ago!

However, the meteorological seasonal calculations make much more sense, in my opinion, for it's in that manner the seasons begin on the first day of the months that include the equinoxes and solstices. For instance, with the meteorological seasons:

Spring runs from March 1 to May 31;

Summer runs from June 1 to August 31;

Fall (autumn) runs from September 1 to November 30; and

Winter runs from December 1 to February 28 (February 29 in a leap year).

When you think about it, that's pretty much the way most of us think of our seasons, wouldn't you say? "Oh! It's March 1st - it's spring!" Isn't this the way most of us think?

And the solstices and equinoxes can still be celebrated, for they will remain the same as they are.

Well, we have both, astronomical & meteorological, and that's quite alright by me.

Going back in time to the 18th century we'll find that February's last days are like the 21st century's New Year's of January 1st. Accounts and diaries are closed and inventories are made. There is talk of spring and the new farm year. The old farm calendars and diaries, almanacs and agricultural manuals, begin appropriately with March.

The Month of March

Much of what you are about to read I've nick'd from other books, diaries and journals, adding the air of authenticity. I have done this throughout the time of this Passion for the Past blog. However, I've noted each publication lest anyone think I am plagiarizing. To plagiarize, by definition, means "to take the work or an idea of someone else and pass it off as one's own."

Anything I have taken from another I have noted plainly ---- I do not ever claim someone else's work to be my own...(I note this because sometimes I have been accused of such a thing - - and I want to keep the air clean)~~~

To imagine farm lives three centuries ago, we must return to a time when family life and the economy blended to a degree unknown today. Farm men and boys worked in their own barnyards and fields. Artisan shops were attached to the house or stood nearby. Women and girls cooked and preserved in the house and garden. In the eighteenth century, fathers and mothers were always the bosses. They governed during the work day and at night, in the house and in the fields. Children worked at whatever tasks their parents assigned to them.

To patriarchy was added the imperative of survival. The brute facts of farming meant that the family had to work. Everyone knew their lives depended on it. Much as children may have resented their father's heavy hand, they knew that only constant toil kept them from hunger. Reality was on their father's side."

The above notation, from the book The American Farmer in the Eighteenth Century by Richard L. Bushman, must fully encompass your mindset to help understand what you are about to read - to see the world through 18th century eyes - for there is no room for 21st century thinking in an 18th century world.

The past is present.

Richard L. Bushman continues: God called men and women to perform particular tasks or work in this life: the women were invariably called to be housewives and mothers, and men were called to specific work as farmers, carpenters, store owners, and so on.

This was the colonial thought process.

But despite the attention given to the great cabinet makers of Philadelphia or the shipping merchants of Boston, the vast bulk of the population (90%) lived on farms growing food crops. According to an article in the winter 2018 issue of Reliving History Magazine, a New England farm averaged in size between 50 and 100 acres (Sam Daggett had 80 acres).

Could this be Sam and Anna Daggett?
Naw...just 18th century farmers...
At least...that's what we're portraying...
...nope, no overalls~~

Here is another snippet by author Richard Lyman Bushman: "Farm families did not (always) farm to make a profit. They farmed to flourish as a family. On the family farm, gender relations and parent-child relationships were largely defined by work and ownership. The patriarchal father-husband owned the property and by right assigned the labor. A good husband was a good husbandman (farmer). The two roles intermingled, as did wife and housewife. The matriarchal woman's role in marriage consisted of bearing children and doing her work in the household economy. And for children it was the same. They accepted their father's right to work them for no pay. The children obeyed because he was their father. Work bonds and family ties were interwoven."

Artisan shops, including leather working, wood-working, blacksmithing, and more, were many times a part of farm property. An interesting notation from a young man named Noah Blake. Though the diary is from 1805, it works well with the 18th century:

"The snow has gone and seasonable weather for Spring business has arrived. I finished the winter's lot of nail-making and put the forge to rights."

I have been in the house you see pictured below hundreds if not thousands of times and always seem to learn or discover something new with each visit. The house and the family who lived in it back in the 1750s through the early 1800s is part of this series' focus:

The Daggett house was built by Samuel Daggett in Coventry (now Andover), Connecticut in the early 1750s, shortly before he married his wife, Anna. Samuel and Anna had three children: daughters Asenath (b. 1755) and Talitha (born 1757), and a son, Isaiah, who was born in 1759.

Samuel Daggett was a farmer and housewright by trade:

This photograph was taken in late March - very early in the spring, and we can still see the last remnants of the winter snow melting. This would be the time of year when the colonial farmer might be repairing his farm tools to work his fields for plowing and planting.

So let's hear now Samuel Daggett’s own words as you read from his ledger:

March 3, 1757 - Jacob Sherwine, debtor, for ceeping of seven cattel 5 weeks and three days: 1 three year old 4 two year olds 2 one year old

more to one booshil (bushel) of ots (oats): allso for my oxen one day to plow

more to my oxen to plow one day and more to my oxen to plow two days

more to my oxen to dray* apels (apples) half a day

*A dray is a low, strong cart without fixed sides, for carrying heavy loads.

March 1, 1758 - John Sherwine, debtor to flaxseed half a booshil

March 11, 1760 - Capt Obediah Newcomb debtor for mending of 8 chairs and a wheel.

March 13, 1760 - Joseph Crooker debtor for eleven booshil of heyseed at seven pence cash pr. booshil.

18th-century weaving on a loom was most intensely done during the winter months and in early spring (specifically November through April). This scheduling allowed rural weavers to focus on farm work during warmer months, while utilizing the cold, damp winter to prevent threads from breaking.

I've been weaving since the fall, and here it is March and I still
have quite a bit more to do!

My 5th great grandfather, William Raby, was a weaver back in the 1700s in England. So, in honor of this ancestor of mine, I like to think there might be some similarities between he and I as I pulled the beater---. Perhaps he was there beside me...one never knows.

Over time, weaving had evolved from a full-time men's occupation to part-time women's work.

To me, the most difficult part of weaving is working the treadles. Which foot on which treadle? I would love to be able to practice and actually make something. Depending on how difficult or easy the pattern is, it can drive one bonkers.

Attention must be paid to each duty.

Working the treadles.

In the 18th century, warm clothes were woven primarily from wool, often heavily fulled for water resistance, and sometimes blended with linen (linsey-woolsey) for durability, using local sheep wool for cost-effectiveness. By the way, "fulled" in this sense was when the 18th century weaver would take the woven fabric to the fulling mill, which, through water-power (as long as the water was not frozen in winter), would finish woolen "country cloth" by pounding it with heavy wooden hammers (stocks) to thicken, strengthen, and felt the fabric, making it shrink and become waterproof.

Fulling mills typically operated during the spring and fall months, for it was largely dependent on the availability of enough water flow in local creeks and rivers to power the waterwheels that drove the fulling hammers.

The following was taken from the book, By The Seasons (with some slight modification from me):

On a day in early March, Anna Daggett gathers a handful of the roots of the sassafras tree from the softening ground near the oxbarn. The roots are thin and brown and rich, smelling of loam (gardening soil) and their own licorice-like spice. She washes them carefully in the stream, rubbing off dirt and bark between her fingers. Then she adds them to a pot filled with fresh spring water and boils the water until it turns rusty brown. She sweetens the strained liquid with honey, spikes it with vinegar, and serves it to her family.

"Sassafras tea is a spring tonic," she reminds her husband and children. "It thins the blood."

She believes that the cold thickens the blood, making the body slow and sluggish. A dose of the spring tonic is a get-up-and-go medicine. It is a family ritual, and they appreciate the strong tonic.

The following is another modification, this time from the book, Day in a Colonial Home by Della R. Prescott:

“Asenath Daggett awoke, startled. Had she overslept and not heeded her father's call? She jumped out of bed on to the strip of rag carpet laid on the cold floor. The sun was just rising and a cool, northwest breeze was blowing on this early spring morning. The well-sweep creaked in the breeze, and a whiff of the smoke of the kitchen fire, pouring out of the chimney, blew up the stairway. The past week of housecleaning had been a busy one, for she and her younger sister, Talitha, had cleaned the dooryard and the entry as well as the back room and the loft bed chamber.

Their mother, Anna, was ill and the housework was up to the two girls.

‘Daughter,’ called Samuel, her father, from the foot of the stairs, ‘the day comes on apace, and it promises a clear sky for your cleaning. Grandmother is tending your mother, and Isiah and I will need the porridge hot when we come back from foddering.’

In the kitchen, a glowing bed of red-hot coals burned on the hearth, streaks of sunlight glanced through the windows, bouncing off the light snow that had fallen overnight and touched the course cloth on the dinner table. Soft reflections shone from the porringers hanging on the dresser.

All winter the family had gathered in the kitchen and, in its warm coziness, Asenath had spun on the spinning wheel, darned mittens, and knitted stockings. Being in the kitchen was a reminder of that cozy time. But with an air of spring about, the great hall was opened up once again.”

This photo of the Daggett Farm House was taken by Tom Kemper just at

the first sunrise of Spring in 2025 - - ~

Now we have more from the diary of Noah Blake:

"March 26, 1805

A light snow fell which father believes will be the last of the winter. We fell'd a fine oak and rolled it upon rails for Spring seasoning. Mother is joyous at the thought of a good wood floor.

March 27, 1805

...it snowed again today. We kept within the house, sharpening and making ready tools for the year's farming.

March 28, 1805

Snow stopped during the night but it is very cold. My window glass is frosty and my ink froze."

For the sustainability of a farm, fences are considered a prime necessity. Almanac after almanac starts the month of March with "Look to your fences." March is the ideal season for storing up firewood and splitting fence-rails while its winds dry out the winter-cut logs in the woods, making them easier to haul in.

So we can see a new fence went up at the Daggett House.

Just as Sam Daggett would have done over two and a half centuries ago.

Though this photo was actually taken in June.

(photo taken by Loretta Tester)

Fences today are of little importance in comparison to Sam Daggett's time, but two or three centuries ago, things were quite different. Fences were critical for keeping livestock in and garden pests contained. During the early years of settlement when livestock (such as pigs) were not restrained, colonists fenced their garden plots, while these animals wreaked havoc on the open fields and any area that did not have a fence to keep them out. Therefore, Sam Daggett would keep his fence in prime condition and replace what was needed, even if it was the entire fence.

"The differences in saving between green and dry wood," says the 1821 farmer's Almanac, "will pay the expense of sledding, besides the extra trouble of kindling fires."

The amount of wood needed for fuel and a variety of other uses was impressive:

On average (remember, I wrote “average”) most Colonial homes would have needed at least 40 cords of wood for heating and cooking over the course of a year. A cord of wood is technically 128 cubic feet...or, roughly, a stack of wood 4 feet wide, 4 feet high, and 8 feet long - very similar to a "rick" of wood.

And it would not only be just one variety of wood – there would be different varieties to be used for cooking, for instance: hardwoods, such as birch, hickory, and maple, were ideal for cooking food in the hearth, as was ash, beech, oak, and elm. These types of wood are dense and slow-burning, which means they release a consistent heat over time. They were ideal for cooking food because it helped to prevent hot spots that could burn the food. Just like the cook of the house, the axe man also knew what size and even shape to cut the wood into for the type of fire needed.

As for the types of wood used for heating the home during the cold months: given the choice, a farmer may have chosen oak, black locust, and/or maple, should these tree varieties be accessible. Again, it was the hardwood that gave off the best and longest-lasting heat.

Chopping wood was not simply going out with an axe – there was a purpose for each piece cut.

A large family recorded in a journal that they burned forty four cords of wood within a one year period in a house with seven fireplaces, a bake oven, and two chimneys. Another family documented burning “twenty seven cords, two feet of wood” between May 3, 1826 and May 4, 1827. One impoverished woman mentioned that she endured a Boston winter on twelve cords of wood “as we kept but one fire except on extraordinary occasions.” Abigail Adams burned forty to fifty cords a year “as we are obliged to keep six fires constantly & occasionally more.”

The March chore of laying up new fuel wood also heralds the end of winter. Besides heating and cooking equipment, there are always a few pieces of wood present, being seasoned by the winter fire. Special wood for ax handles and other farm tools is laboriously dried at the fireplace, and even lightly charred for strength. Special pieces are often left near the fireplace for as long as a year, to render them properly seasoned.

Candlelight Saving Time

And to jump to a new but similar topic, Benjamin Franklin is often erroneously given the honor of “inventing” daylight saving time in the way we know it be, but he only proposed a change in sleep schedules—not the time itself. His first mention of saving daylight was in “An Economical Project” proposal in 1784. Although electrical powered homes weren’t a thing during this time, the proposal was to save the expense of candlelight. Franklin noted that waking up closer to sunrise gave him more hours of daylight to illuminate his home. This allowed him to use fewer smoky and expensive candles, which helped him save energy and money.

Making candles only during the months of fall wasn't a hard and fast rule, as notations in the diary of Martha Ballard shows us:

March 16, 1787

Clear. mr Jonston & wife & Son Left here for home. mr Ballard gone to Capt Sualls. Jon gone to Joseph Fairbankss for hay. Sally Peirce here, mrss Chamln, Savage, Bolton, [Vinc] Savage & Sally Webb also. I made 6 Dos Candles. have been at home.

Larissa & I made candles on a warm March day at the cabin.
Okay, so it was actually a warm day in January (55 degrees!),
but it looks like it could've been March.

No American season is more definite than sugaring time. The right time is usually between late February/early March through early April when the sap is flowing properly. The nights are still cold enough to freeze sharply and the days warm enough to thaw freely. The thermometer must not rise above forty degrees by day, nor sink below 24 degrees at night. It is this magic see-sawing between winter and spring that decides the sugaring season.

"The Sugar-Tree yields a kind of Sap or Juice which by boiling is made into Sugar. This Juice is drawn out, by wounding the Trunk of the Tree, and placing a Receiver under the Wound. It is said that the Indians make one Pound of Sugar out of eight Pounds of the Liquor. It is bright and moist with a full large Grain, the Sweetness of it being like that of good Muscovada."

Governor Berkeley of Virginia, 1706~

To collect the sap, holes are bored in the maple tree using hand-powered augers or bits and braces to drill the holes, followed by the hammering in of a wooden tube called a spile. Under the spile a wooden bucket, made by the local cooper, is placed to catch the clear watery sap. Each day the buckets of sap are emptied into one large barrel, which is hauled back to the boiling area. There, three iron kettles made by the local blacksmith hang over fires.

Maple Sugaring at Old Sturbridge Village -

photo courtesy of Vicki Stevens

In the first kettle, the watery tasteless sap is vigorously boiled over a roaring fire. The water will gradually evaporate, leaving behind a thicker, sweeter liquid. This is then ladled into the second kettle where it is gently boiled to thicken more. Constant stirring keeps it from burning.

This thick, sweet syrup can then be poured into crocks to be used on porridge or cakes. Or, it can be ladled into the third kettle. If this is done, the liquid will then, over a smaller fire, be carefully stirred until it turns into sugar. The sugar will be packed into wooden boxes and tubs to be used in the coming year.

From what I have read, it was the Native Americans in the northeast who first collected the sap and boiled it into syrup to sweeten their food. When European colonists arrived, they learned how to process the sap from the Natives to also be used as a sweetener, which was cheaper than the expensive cane sugar, and could be used in a variety of foods including oatmeal, waffles, sausage, and baked goods.

There is the Navarre-Anderson trading post from 1789 - the oldest wooden structure

built in the lower peninsula of Michigan. And that little building next to it is the cook house, built in 1810.

It is the most complete example of French-Canadian piece-sur-piece (piece by piece) construction in the Old Northwest. Now owned by the Monroe County Historical Museum, it is restored and established to represent a French pioneer homestead along the old River Raisin in Monroe, Michigan.

If you look close you can see a few folk gathered around to the right of the

cook house. That's where the fire for boiling the sap is located.

And here we are, in Michigan's piece of the Old Northwest. Very cool.

Boiling sap into a sugar and syrup was a long and slow process, and all hands were needed to help. The younger boys joined the adult males as they spent several nights in the sugar camp set up in the woods. They collected sap buckets and helped to find, chop, and carry the tremendous amount of wood needed to maintain the fires under the huge sugar pots as they boiled off the water from the sap.

Here there are numerous iron kettles hanging over fires. In the first kettle, the watery tasteless sap is vigorously boiled over a roaring fire. This is then ladled into the second kettle where it is gently boiled to thicken more. Constant stirring keeps it from burning. Over the course of the various kettles, the water will gradually evaporate, leaving behind a thicker, sweeter dark syrup they called molasses, which was used as a cane sugar. When makers wanted a granulated product, the molasses was boiled until the sugar crystalized, and at that point it was turned out of the kettle into a larger wooden trough for clashing, being pounded with a wooden beater to break up the clumps of crystals.

There happens to be six iron pots boiling here at the Navarre-Anderson trading post,

though the last one is simply boiling plain old water.

The large wood trough is center left.

The maple-tasting sugar was yellow and could then be used for the home or for a cash crop. Now used more for syrup, historically the goal of maple sugaring was to make sugar.

This thick, sweet syrup can then be poured into crocks to be used on porridge or cakes. Or, it can be ladled into the third and then maybe even a fourth kettle. If this is done, the liquid will then, over a smaller fire, be carefully stirred until it turns into sugar. The sugar will be packed into wooden boxes and tubs to be used in the coming year.

Though sugaring was laborious, everyone would try to make it a more cheerful time, for the whole family looked forward to this chore, making it more play than work. Plus it was a sign that spring was nigh.

Of course, one of the best parts of producing maple syrup was testing the outcome!

"Large countries within our Union are covered with Sugar maple as heavily as can be conceived, and that this tree yields a sugar equal to the best from the cane, yields it in great quantity, with no other labor than what the women and girls can bestow . . . What a blessing to substitute a sugar which requires only the labor of children..."

--Thomas Jefferson 1791--

(Ah, Mr. Jefferson. There were more than children and women needed...)

Maple sugaring at the Navarre-Anderson trading post in Monroe, Michigan.
March 2021

On March 28, 1775, after working around the clock for two days, Abner Sanger recorded in his journal: "A very good sap day. Fair, clear, and pleasant. I helped (my brother) gather and boil sap all day and I think all night, too."

Benjamin Rush, physician and close friend of Thomas Jefferson, in an attempt to convince the future president that maple sugar was not only equal to cane in quality, but indeed that for the moral and economic good of the new nation, felt it was imperative that Americans promote its manufacture to supplant the West India sugar trade. In a remarkably short period of time, maple sugar was transformed in the minds of the many American opinion leaders from a minor local crop produced mainly by subsistence farmers into a highly fashionable--perhaps deliciously profitable—new national industry. During the early 1790s this phenomenon, sometimes labeled “the maple sugar bubble,” inflamed the minds and hearts of such influential figures as Henry Drinker, a well regarded Quaker merchant; William Cooper, founder of Cooperstown; and of course, Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Rush. The writings of these men, reflected and informed by articles written by supporters of the trade across New England, all made the same point: maple sugar could and should become a permanent replacement for cane sugar in America.

Passing the sap from kettle to kettle. It thickens with each passing.

When Austin Bryant began his efforts to improve his profitability of the family farm in the early 1800s, he made additional sap troughs, borrowed extra kettles, boiled large quantities of sap, and set out new maple trees.

After all of the hard work was done, sharing the fresh sweet was a welcome treat; "The family went to Mr. Briggs to eat sugar."

Edward Carpenter admitted that he "ate maple sugar till it did not taste good." And yet he still went back for more the next day, even bringing back some syrup "& sugared it off & made 8 little cakes to carry home with me."

By the second half of the 18th century, the tradition of maple sugaring heralded the arrival of spring.

And it truly was quite the event, for it seemed that entire communities would gather in camps for the occasion; filled with delight, whole families got involved in the process. It was a part of the celebration of the season of rebirth. When there was a good run of sap, it was usually necessary to stay in the camp overnight, and many times the campers would stay several nights. As a good run meant milder weather, a night or two was not a bitter experience.

Well, that's about it for the month of March. As I said, I plan to do this month-to-month daily life in the 18th century as a year-long series, and I hope you'll come back.

By the way, as I garner more information about any particular month, you can bet each will have additions...somewhat frequently.