Fourth of July 2020 left many traditions altered or completely ignored as firework shows were cancelled and neighborhood barbecues went unplanned. However, one tradition I was still able to keep up despite new regulations was baking cracknels.
The fact that we celebrate the Fourth of July, and not the 2nd, or 6th, or even 2nd of August is interesting in itself. July 2, 1776 is the actual day Congress declared independence. July 4 is the day they finalized the text. July 6 is the day the Declaration was first published in a newspaper (the Pennsylvania Evening Post). August 2, 1776 was the date it was signed.
But colonists then would still have celebrated on the fourth of July. Why? Because that was the date written, and then printed, on the Declaration of Independence.
Regardless of when you are making them, or which day you are celebrating, these cracknels are delicious. As an 18th century recipes, these treats are something the colonists themselves could have eaten in response to the Declaration of Independence.
This recipe was originally from Colonial Williamsburg’s recipe blog. (Note: the blog has been updated, and no longer includes this particular recipe. But they have other fantastic recipes found here!)
As CW’s introduction says, the term cookie was actually derived from a dutch word. Before “cookie” was popular, the sweet discs might be called cakes, or in this case, cracknels.
Colonial Williamsburg’s Modern Adaptation of Elizabeth Moxon’s recipe:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup sugar
4 Tbsp. butter
1 large egg
1 Tbsp. caraway seeds
Note: Mix the dough with your hands! No excuses, the recipe told you so:)
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and line cookie sheet(s) with parchment paper.
Combine flour, sugar and caraway seeds in a bowl until well mixed.
Cut in butter. Beat egg slightly and add to flour, sugar and butter mixture.
Work the dough with your hands until the mixture holds together. If you find that the heat of your hands is not bringing the mixture together, you can beat one more egg and add a little bit at a time and work until the dough holds together [For my doubled recipe, I used 3 eggs]. This mixture will be stiff, so it is important not to add any more moisture than necessary.
Taking a small portion of dough at a time, roll out to 1/8″ thick on a lightly floured surface. Cut out dough with a 2 1/4 inch biscuit cutter [or glass!] and place on a parchment lined cookie sheet 1/2-1″ apart. Dough does not spread during baking [it’s true!].
Bake 8-10 minutes or until lightly browned around the edges. Cookies will be soft to the touch.
Allow to cool slightly on the cookie sheet before removing to wire racks to cool completely. As the cookies cool they will become hard and crisp.
Yield: using a 2 1/4″ cookie cutter, about 7 dozen cookies.
Chewy and sweet, with the slight crunch of caraway seeds, the cracknels are very popular with my family. At first, I was doubtful that the caraway seeds would be an improvement. They might be a bit of an acquired taste, but now I wouldn’t want to leave them out.
This recipe is so easy and fun to make. You could definitely use it as a base for other add-ins if you wanted to go a more modern route. Thanks CW!
Declaration of Independence Facts. Declaration of Independence Activities and Lesson Plans for Educators. Important Dates to Remember. Learn About the Signers of the Declaration of Independence, Read the Declaration of Independence and Test Your Knowledge with our Declaration of Independence Quiz.
Without a second thought, we frequently grab baking soda or baking powder out of our cabinet to use for whatever cookie, biscuit, or cake recipe we want. But the common use of chemical leaveners – for that’s what baking soda and baking powder are – is actually a fairly recent phenomenon.
While I was reading through the American Frugal Housewife, I came across several recipes calling for a little bit of pearlash (pearl-ash). One of them was a pancake recipe that otherwise had pretty standard ingredients. I was stumped.
So I did some research and fell down a rabbit hole of chemical leavening.
First of all, I discovered that pearlash is a refined form of potash (pot-ash). The refining process removes most of a smoky flavor from the substance. Which lead me to the question: what exactly is potash?
Potash is substance that was originally created by running water over wood ashes. After evaporating the water, you are left with a mix of potassium carbonate and other chemicals. Pearlash is composed only of potassium carbonate.
Now, in the 21st century, potash is actually mined from huge, underground deposits, which you can learn more about in the video below.
Learn more about potash, an essential crop nutrient that improves crop yields worldwide. With over 20 million tonnes of potash capacity at our six mines in S…
Thanks to Jas. Townsend and Sons’ YouTube channel, I learned in their “Exploring Colonial America: Chemical Leavening” series that these types of rising agents may have been in use as early as the 14th century! But that knowledge was held in total secrecy.
In the 1300’s, the Netherlands was famous for its gingerbread, but there was one town in particular known for its delicious, fluffy gingerbread. The unique sweet contained a special ingredient that was so secret not even the bakers knew what it was. The local burgermeister would visit each bakery to add in the ingredient to the rest of the prepared dough. Coincidence? Probably not.
Chemical leavening also occurred by accident in England, where millers were supplementing their poor flour with chalk, a base. When bakers began adding alum – an acid – to bleach the bread whiter, they unwittingly provided the other ingredient for a chemical reaction. Though ignorant of the chemical process, they did notice that the bread rose more fully with the additional ingredients.
But chemical leavening was not commonly used in households, yet.
In the 1750’s, a dutch cookbook was published that is suspected to be the first great unveiling of those long-held dutch bakery secrets. Further research translating manuscripts and comparing recipes is required before the connection can be declared certain. But the likelihood of confirmation is very high.
For, in the late 1700’s, where did recipes calling for potash begin to emerge from? None other than the dutch-settled Hudson River Valley of New York.
These recipes were advertised as something that could be quickly whipped up for unexpected guests. No long wait times for rising yeast were required. One can definitely see the appeal when you think of how often we use baking soda or powder as a speedy alternative to yeast.
The use of chemical leavings spread quickly in the U.S., with many 1830’s cookbooks including potash and pearlash’s successors, baking soda and powder, as leavening. However, chemical leavening was slower to take hold in the U.K., possibly because of prior scares of poison in bakers’ bread.
Another source I found online was the blog Four Pounds Flour: Historic Gastronomy. (NOTE: I will link it below, but I recommend reading through the comments and using Jas. Townsend as a more reliable source.) The author writes that her cookies turned out bitter because of the pearlash. However, an astute commenter notes that pearlash is a leavening comparable to baking soda: if you use too much, it will be bitter.
On the Spruce Eats website (linked below), they say that for every 1 teaspoon of pearlash, you can substitute 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda.
So I decided to try making Mrs. Child’s pearlash pancakes, but just use baking soda instead. Fortunately, even if something went wrong, I reasoned, the recipe is easy and inexpensive.
The Pancakes:
The original recipe doesn’t call for the dry and wet to be mixed separately first. It went exactly how you’d expect: the cinnamon clumped together. I decided to wait to add some of the baking soda until I added the flour, since I wasn’t sure how much I would need.
1 1/2 cups of flour seemed to cause “the spoon to move… round with difficulty,” as Mrs. Child recommends.
The Batter
Instructions regarding the oil/fat in the original recipe were a bit confusing. I started out with olive oil, but it gave too strong of a flavor to the pancakes. I would recommend going with butter. Mrs. Child states the more fat in your pan, the better, which I think is why the pancakes reminded me of funnel cake. But they did need a certain… je ne sais quoi.
Pan-Fry in Cast Iron
Tasty with Fruit and Cheese
With that, here is the recipe which I have not touted so well, XP. After more experimentation I shall post a new one that’s better and tastier, but this is a good base that you could add more flavors to. To be clear they are not bad: all of them were eaten 😀
Part 1 of an in depth discussion on the history of Chemical Leavening. Our Website – http://www.townsends.us/ Cooking Blog – http://www.savoringthepast.net I…
2oz of Pearl Ash also known as Potassium Carbonate. Packaged in a modern plastic bottle with a safety lid. According to the Oxford Symposium on Food and Drink, Pearl Ash (potassium carbonate) was used as a chemical leavening agent as early as the 14th century in certain Dutch Baking.
Today’s episode is another companion piece to our Chemical Leavening Discussion. It’s a recipe found in a letter to the editor in the Monthly Magazine (Londo…
Pearlash is powdery and slightly moist. The History If you were to scoop the ashes out of your fireplace and soak them in water, the resulting liquid would be full of lye. Lye can be used to make three things: soap, gun powder, or chemical leavener.
Pottasche is a common ingredient in traditional German recipes. It may also be written as potash or pearlash, potassium carbonate, salts of tartar, and carbonate of potash. All of these terms refer to the same ingredient. It is usually present in classic German gingerbread ( Lebkuchen) recipes.
Baking powder is used to increase the volume and lighten the texture of baked goods. It’s a dry leavening agent that is made from a mixture of carbonate or bicarbonate, a weak acid, and a filler. When a liquid is added, the baking powder creates an acid-base reaction, which releases carbon dioxide gas into the batter or dough.
Potash and pearlash even affected our quarantine-banana bread ;P
If there’s an unofficial snack of the coronavirus pandemic, it’s a sweet, soft loaf of home-baked banana bread. Celebrities like Chrissy Teigen love it, and ttreat has been the most searched-for recipe across all US states for the last 30 days.
Everyone knows how to make apple pie right? Apples, cinnamon, and sugar mixed together and thrown into a piecrust. Maybe you add butter or flour, or nutmeg and lemon zest, but this classic recipe that we take for granted started out differently.
I found this pie recipe on Colonial Williamsburg’s website (which I’ll link to below). The first thing they pointed out is that apple pie is not American, despite what we may think, it’s actually British – interesting.
The pie crust recipe came from The American Frugal Housewife, by Mrs. Child, which was printed in 1833. I enjoyed the challenge of interpreting this recipe from its original form – most of the historical recipes I try have a modern version next to them that is easier to understand. In continuing with that, I have created my own modern version of the recipe that I will attach below if you would like to try it. Or just experiment with the 1830’s recipe!
The main differences between this apple pie and any modern apple pie you might be accustomed to are the spices and the method of construction. There is no cinnamon! Only sugar and whole cloves.
Then you must layer it. At no point does the recipe say to mix the fruit and seasonings together in a bowl. Instead, you lay a layer of peeled, cored, apple slices into the bottom of you pie crust. Then you dust sugar and some whole cloves over the apples. Put more apples on top, add more sugar and cloves, and repeat.
Once you have used up all the apples, lay the second pie crust over it, and press the edges together. Williamsburg’s beautiful picture of the pie included pie crust decor. So I cut a few leaves and long strips out of my crust scraps and created a small design on top.
The recipe doesn’t call for it, but I decided to beat an egg and spread it over the top. Upon further inspection of the photo, I realized that only the decorative crust pieces must have had egg wash to make them stand out. Oh well, it was too late.
The Pie Before Baking
I baked it at the recommended 450˚ for 10 minutes, then 350˚ for 40 minutes. It smelled wonderful.
I must admit I was a little suspicious of sprinkling whole cloves throughout my apple pie. But they were very easy to pick out. And having only the cloves and no cinnamon gave it a different flavor that definitely seemed historical 🙂 I loved the taste, and judging from how much of it was eaten, my family enjoyed it as well!
However, it would have been improved by salt. The recipe does not call for salt. And for the pie crust, I used unsalted butter. But it turns out that I should’ve used salted butter. Why? Because Mrs. Child talks about butter earlier in her book. She instructs her readers to “pack your butter in a clean, scalded firkin, cover it with strong brine…” and it will last indefinitely. A strong brine would certainly add salt to the butter.
I love how something as simple as apple pie has changed and developed over time. Next time you’re wishing for some homemade apple pie, try this easy recipe! (Even easier if you skip the pie crust for store-bought.)
Here’s my modern version of the crust recipe alongside the original!
Pastry (homemade or store bought) 8 Granny Smith applies ¼ – 1 cup granulated sugar or castor sugar 1 tsp. rose flower water (optional) 2 tsp. whole cloves Instructions Preheat the oven to 425°. Remove one piece of dough from refrigerator and let stand until soft.
Child, Lydia Maria. The American Frugal Housewife: Dedicated to Those Who Are Not Ashamed of Economy. 12th ed. Carlisle, MA: Applewood, 1985.
Hoofbeats pounded up the wet road lined with a small crowd in the grey dawn. Coming closer, you could hear the rider crying out, “The Regulars are coming! The Regulars are coming!” Then came the faint sounds of fifes and drums, signaling the British army was not far behind.
Last year, in Massachusetts, my sister, friend, and myself celebrated Patriots’ Day with numerous historical activities. We woke up at 3:30 am to be in Lexington for the 5:30 am reenactment of the Battle of Lexington where the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World” was fired. Later we marched with the Sudbury Minutemen along the same route the original company would have taken to join the fight. With high hopes I declared I would definitely be doing it all again next year.
But a few events put a crimp in those plans. First of all, moving across the country. Secondly, being required to quarantine for two weeks on either end of traveling. So the festivities were a bit different than I had imagined, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
Lexington Green, Patriots’ Day 2019
To commemorate the special day, my sister and I decided to walk the Tony Knowles Coastal Trail, which runs about 11 miles along the northern coastline of Anchorage, Alaska. The distance was approximately equal to the march we did with the Sudbury Minutemen last year. To note, the Sudbury Minutemen march on every April 19th early in the morning, in order to coincide with the exact date and time of the 1775 events. However, we walked on Monday the 20th, which is the official holiday of Patriots’ Day. We also left our starting line a little later than 2019’s 6:30 am.
Beginning of the Trail on the North Side of Anchorage
We arrived at the railroad depot just north of downtown Anchorage at 7:45am. Never before had we walked the entire Tony Knowles Trail from start to finish. With many access points, we had often walked short segments of the trail near significant city parks.
As we walked, we decided to wish any and all passersby a ‘Happy Patriots’ Day.’ Judging from their responses, none of them had the least idea of what we were talking about.
Patriots’ Day honors the first official battles of the American Revolution: Lexington and Concord. British soldiers marched out from Boston in the wee hours of the night, aiming to confiscate a store of ammunition located in Concord, Massachusetts. Revolutionaries spread the word of their impending arrival (the midnight ride of Paul Revere, anyone? – though Revere wasn’t the only one).
When the Redcoats reached Lexington in the early morning, a few brave souls stood on the green (common land in the center of town), defying the soldiers’ advance. A shot – to this day no one knows from which side it came– was fired. Within moments, eight colonists were dead or dying, and the British marched on.
As my sister and I marched, we paused at the planet stations placed strategically along the path. An Anchorage highschool student devised this clever “Planet Walk.” Signs representing the planets are positioned in order, radiating out from a sun sculpture in downtown Anchorage. Each intervening distance is calculated to equate to the light speed distance actually between them. Now pedestrians can stroll along at light speed. Apparently we were walking faster than light speed, because we completed the trail in just over 4 hours, instead of the predicted 5.5 hours.
The Planets I Remembered to Photograph (the Sun is Located in Downtown)
The second battle on April 19, 1775 took place in Concord. Upon their arrival, the Redcoats began burning supplies and cannons gathered by the colonists. From a hill vantage point, 400 minute men and militia saw the smoke and believed the town was being burned. They advanced on the town’s North Bridge, which was guarded by 96 British Soldiers, who fired upon them. The colonists shot back. Five fell dead and more were wounded.
But the exhausting day was nowhere near finished yet.
We stopped for a brief break at the Earthquake Park overlook point. This park is a crazy testament to the total upheaval of earth that takes place during earthquakes. Signs illustrate how the steep drop-offs and jutting hills you now see were all creating during Alaska’s 1964 Good Friday quake.
Not long afterwards, we reached Point Woronzoff, a park and beach that sits at the foot of the airport runway. We watched several planes take off directly overhead including the one videoed below. In the summer, we’ve enjoyed coming here to walk the steep path down to the muddy beach.
Plane Takes Off Over Point Woronzoff Park
The British began their march back to Boston. However, unbeknownst to them, more and more minutemen and militia from the surrounding country began to congregate around their return route. The first ambush waited one mile outside of Concord, at Meriam’s Corner. Subsequent attacks took place at Brooks Hill and the Bloody Angle in addition to other skirmishes, creating a “running 16-mile-long battle,” according to Minuteman National Park’s webpage on “Battle Site Explorations.”
Our views were a bit different from those the Redcoats and colonists traveled through 245 years ago. 🙂 In the photos you can see the infamous mudflats, with some snow still lingering on top. The day was pretty cloudy and foggy; on clear days there are mountains visible in the distance.
Views of Cook Inlet From the Trail
Later that fateful day, the British were met by reinforcements as well, but not nearly as many as the colonists. The book, Reporting the Revolution by Todd Andrlik, says that “by the end of the day, almost 3,800 militiamen had seen action against about 1,500 regulars. More than 270 British were left dead, wounded, or missing; for the Americans, only ninety-four.” Keep in mind that these Redcoat soldiers had been up all through the night!
Our destination, the 10.5 mile-marker in Kincaid Park, was met with excitement, though I’m sure not nearly as much as the British must have felt upon reaching Boston. We only took just over four hours to make our goal, but the British had already been traveling for hours when they reached Lexington at 5:30am. Then they fought all through the day.
April 19th marked the official outbreak of the American War for Independence that had been brewing for years. Many men lost their lives that day in defense of their rights. We would do well to remember what has been sacrificed by others for our benefit, and to follow their example of standing up against injustice. Here’s to next Patriots’ Day!
Our Final Mile Marker
The Tony Knowles Trail is an amazing resource, whether you’re visiting Anchorage for the first time, or have lived here for 20 years. Make sure to check out their website and take a “light speed” walk through Anchorage 🙂
The Minuteman National park has awesome online resources! Check out their website, YouTube channel, and FaceBook page for Patriots’ Day activities and more.
Annually on April 19, the Sudbury Companies of Militia and Minute march from Sudbury Center to the Old North Bridge in Concord, Massachusetts. This event reenacts and commemorates the mission of our forefathers who did the same on April 19, 1775, at the start of the American Revolution.
Todd Andrlik is the founding editor of Journal of the American Revolution , as well as author/editor of Reporting the Revolutionary War: Before It Was History, It Was News (Sourcebooks, 2012), named one of the Best Books of 2012 by Barnes & Noble and Best American Revolution Book of the Year by the New York American Revolution Round Table.
Flashback to last October, on Massachusetts’ North Shore: Ipswich, not far from the New Hampshire border, is a gem of natural and historical sites. We drove (approximately a two hour drive from Boston) with the intention of visiting the famously beautiful Castle Hill on the Crane Estate. However, when we arrived, the gate was shut. The park was closed in order to clean up trees that had fallen in a recent wind storm. But we were determined to still enjoy Ipswich, and we most certainly did.
Looking Back Towards the Beach Parking Lot
The View Along the Beach
A park employee, advised us to drive to the nearby – and apparently popular – Crane Beach. The day was sunny, windy, and bone-chilling, but the beach was magnificent. Sand dunes speckled with brush spilled toward the water, where the water thrashed in the wind. Islands and promontories were visible, and marshes spread out on our right.
If we peered closely at the hill behind us, the mansion was just visible in a clearing of the trees. So, other than opulent beauty, what makes the Crane Estate such a cool place to visit? First, there’s a wonderful beach nearby, but the Trustees (the organization in charge), list several other reasons.
Fun Fact: the Crane Estate was used for scenes of Europe in the 2019 movie, Little Women.
Look Closely – the Estate Lies on the Hill’s Left
To start, Castle Hill and Castle Neck were first owned by John Winthrop, the first governor of Massachusetts, beginning in 1637. Two centuries later, the estate was bought by the Brown family. They added roadways and planned plantings to the property. They also renovated what was a farmhouse into the so-called “cottage.”
But in 1910, Richard T. Crane Jr. purchased the land and determined to change it dramatically. Crane was a wealthy industrialist from Chicago, who owned a company manufacturing valves, pumps, and bathroom pieces. He used his wealth extravagantly. The property was landscaped, and even included a completely-functioning farm.
The most striking of the estate’s new features was the house. At first, the Cranes built an Italian-style villa, which was finished in 1912. But they soon changed their minds, and had an English-style mansion constructed in its place! With 59-rooms, it must be impressive.
However, even though we didn’t get a chance to view this monstrous palace up close, now it’s just an excuse to go back. After our fun at Crane beach, it was time for lunch, so we drove into the downtown of Ipswich.
The Town Hall
The Visitor Center
We elected to dine at the Heart and Soul Cafe, a warm, tasty little restaurant right in the center of town. Once we had filled up on a delicious salad, pancakes, and a burger, we set out to walk around. We had passed by a tiny old bridge, visitor center, museums, and cute shops. Unfortunately, I didn’t snap a photo of the streets downtown, but you’ll have to believe me that it was a perfect example of a quaint, bustling New England town.
Everywhere there were signposts and plaques revealing the history of the town. The Visitor Center had some great signs about the Essex Coastal Scenic Byway, which is huge, with a lot of places to discover. Zoom in on the photos below to see for yourself 🙂
The Choate Bridge, originally completed in 1764, and a small dam crossed over the Ipswich River, which runs right by the downtown. There was also a fish ladder nearby.
View from the Bridge
A pamphlet we picked up at the Visitor Center listed all the First Period (before 1725) Homes in Ipswich. A great idea! Though designed to be a walking guide and map, we used it to drive past a bunch of houses before we headed home. This one town has 60 First Period Homes! And there are 46 listed on the map.
We briefly walked around the John Whipple House. But it was closed at the moment, along with the Ipswich Museum, which lay right across the street. Judging from their website however, I’m sure they’d both be interesting to go inside.
A First Period Home
The Ipswich Museum
The John Whipple House
So. I most definitely would like to return to Ipswich, and I hope you’d like to go too. There’s so much more that we didn’t even get to last time. I’m sure you could make a very full day out of everything. And even if you can’t – or don’t want to – go to the Castle Hill on the Crane Estate, there’s plenty to do that is fun and doesn’t even cost a penny.
Experience the grandeur of a seaside estate and its marvelously landscaped grounds, notable for a broad, undulating lawn running down to the shore. What makes Castle Hill a special place? Centuries before becoming a grand summer estate owned by one of America’s wealthiest families, Castle Hill was well known by Native Americans, who called the area Agawam, referring to its rich fishery.
The Ipswich Museum offers an array of exciting lectures, exhibits and classes that are open to the public. Check back throughout the year for the most up to date list of events.
I absolutely love cooking historical recipes. Trying out flavors from the past is revealing and almost always tasty. We often make uninformed assumptions about what historical food was like though. And the sheer variety of what people used to eat can be quite surprising. Take for example, this Guyanese Duck Curry.
During the 18th century, there was trade happening all over the world, and international cuisine reflected this. This dish comes from Guyana, which lies in-between Venezuela and Brazil. Duck curry is immensely popular in Guyana, but this South American country’s food contains influences from several other continents. Elements of duck curry originate in North America, Britain, India, the Netherlands, and Africa.
I got the recipe from A Taste of History: Cookbook. I had no idea, but PBS actually airs a show titled A Taste of History, which has hundreds of episodes about 18th century food. Pretty cool. You can find some recipes on their website, which I’ll link to down below.
This recipe could be made with less time and effort if you used store-bought broth. However, the recipe calls for duck broth, which I have never seen for sale before. As I had all the ingredients for duck broth, I decided to make it. Basically, it’s like making another soup, but with the whole carcass steeping in it.
The first step was to butcher the duck, which I promptly realized I didn’t know how to do. After getting frustrated part way through, I watched a tutorial about butchering a duck – it definitely helped. My tips are: 1. know what you’re doing first, and 2. have a sharp knife!
In the Middle of Butchering
The End Results
Once I finished butchering, it was time to start the broth. Add together with the duck parts onions, carrots, celery, bay leaves, cloves, peppercorns, and water. Make sure you use all the excess duck parts, I neglected to take a photo with all of them in the pot. I boiled all this for a while (and forgot to switch it to a simmer).
While that boiled, I sautéed two onions, garlic, and curry powder. Then I added the now chopped up duck pieces and tomato. Then some of my precious duck broth went into the pan.
The Duck Broth
Sauté of Onions, Garlic, and Curry Powder
Addition of Duck, Tomato, and Broth
After the broth, the recipe calls for garam masala and cumin. Make sure you do this in a pot. Since my pan turned out to be too small for the following ingredients, I ended up transferring everything to a pot. Then I threw in chopped potatoes, carrots, ginger, and thyme. The original recipe called for habanero, but too much spice isn’t popular with my samplers, so I omitted it.
Garam Masala
Cumin
The Curry!
The recipe says to cook the duck for 10 minutes before you add the carrots and potatoes. I would recommend letting it simmer longer, because the potatoes and carrots were very soft by the time the duck was tender. However, the dish was still yummy. It tasted very modern, like something you could get in a restaurant nowadays. To note, duck does taste different than chicken, if inquiring minds want to know.
This recipe is a great example of the extreme variety present in 18th century food! With the spices from India, potatoes and tomatoes from the New World, and more, any presupposition of bland meals primarily of meat and breads is simply blown away. Just like anything, you must delve deeper before you assume it to be one way or another.
I highly encourage everyone to take a stab at recreating their own historical recipe! If you don’t have – or desire to buy – a cookbook, there are plenty of resources online. Colonial Williamsburg, Jas. Townsend and Sons, and many others offer recipes and tutorials on their websites or on YouTube.
Here is the video I watched partway through the process:
Butchering is a great skill to have, since it’s often cheaper to buy the whole animal rather than portions. Have a go at buying a whole duck and using it in …
A channel dedicated to exploring the 18th Century lifestyle. Subscribe for hundreds of videos on 18th century living, cooking, clothing, and much more. Our W…
Row of Historical Buildings – Oldest Tavern in America on Right
If you read last week’s post, you already have a good idea of what the Freedom Trail entails. A friend and I were whisked along by a tour guide from the Freedom Trail Foundation. We enjoyed his passionate storytelling so much, that we decided to purchase tickets for the second half of the tour.
Note: these tours are perfectly interesting as stand-alone activities! So if you’re not up for as much walking, or don’t have as much time, I would recommend the standard Walk Into History tour is a great option. (The North End Tour definitely covered less ground than the first, as the more distant Charlestown sites aren’t included.)
After a stop across from the Revere house, we walked to the Old North Church. From its steeple Robert Newman lit the two lanterns on the infamous night in April, 1775. Unfortunately, Redcoats saw those warning lanterns too. The outline of a bricked-in window is still visible where Newman supposedly escaped from on his way out of the church tower.
Statue of Paul Revere
At the base of Old North Church is a small shop where you can witness the laborious process of 18th century chocolate making. Take a peek! The cacao seeds are ground against a semi-J-shaped stone board. Eventually they yield a soft chocolaty paste that would taste absolutely horrible without sugar. And if you want, you can buy a little bag of historical chocolate, yum!
Our last stop was the Copps Hill Burying Ground. There a gravestone with bullet marks reminds you that this wasn’t always a peaceful place. Up a hill (surprise!), the burying ground is quiet and once overlooked the water, but trees and houses now block the view.
Once Thomas/Crean wrapped up the tour, we were on our own. The Freedom Trail Foundation doesn’t provide tours for the Charlestown portion of the trail since there are only two stops there. However, we were in for the long haul.
On our way over, we stumbled across a small park. In its center was a stone outline of an old structure. A signboard nearby distinguished it as the Great House/Three Cranes Tavern.
Small inset metal signs label the various parts of the house: kitchen, front door, post hole. The archaeological dig that led to its discovery was interesting. Crazy how history is everywhere – this wasn’t on the Freedom Trail.
Our next stop was the Bunker Hill Monument. But before we braved the stairs, we explored its museum. Located just across the street, this (air-conditioned) space is run by the National Park Service. It’s a great stop to learn some fun facts about the monument–a contest was even held for the design, and there are drawings of the rejected ideas.
Map of Boston: Dark Grey Indicates Man-made Land
There are two floors of exhibits. My favorite part was a map of Boston. Lit from the back, you could see which parts of the city have been filled in by humans. Pretty incredible! Boston looked totally different 250 years ago. The Boston Neck, on the left of the map, is completely nonexistent now, but made it easy to control who came and went during the occupation of Boston.
Refreshed, we started across the street after refilling our water bottle. If you get easily claustrophobic or dizzy, I don’t recommend ascending the Bunker Hill Monument. Even though there are a lot of stairs, the view at the top is totally worth it. Plus, you get to brag that you made it to the top ;P
The Bunker Hill Monument
After our climb, we walked to our final stop: the USS Constitution and museum. The famous ship, nicknamed Old Ironsides, sits in the Boston Harbor and its museum is very interactive. There were tons of unique exhibits, like building a digital battleship that is both fast and strong. The museum is especially great for groups with kids – but no less interesting for adults.
Don’t forget to actually go on the ship itself! It’s hard to imagine spending long stints of time in the low-ceilinged quarters below decks, but the craftsmanship on board is wonderful. Exploring the ship gives you a real glimpse of what it must’ve been like to live and fight on board.
Belowdecks on the USS Constitution
Note: if you’re heading home using the train system, there’s a T station within close walking distance of the USS Constitution.
I’m so glad I was able to walk the entire freedom trail! It’s a great way to see Boston and definitely can be an all day event.
Before you go, make sure you download the app! There are lots of resources to make the excursion as inexpensive as you like. The Freedom Trail should be on your bucket list whether you’re a resident or tourist: you really get to know the history of Boston through it.
Boston National Historical Park Massachusetts Discover how one city could be the Cradle of Liberty, site of the first major battle of American Revolution, and home to many who espoused that freedom can be extended to all. Plan your visit to a city with over three centuries of revolution.
The Freedom Trail is a unique collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the American Revolution and beyond. Freedom Trail Sites The Freedom Trail Foundation’s most popular tour highlights the revolutionary history that took place at 11 of the 16 official Freedom Trail historic sites.
For more than 120 years, Boston’s leaders have met in this historic area of the city. It was home to Boston’s first public school attended by Ben Franklin, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams, and it served as City Hall for 38 mayors, including John Fitzgerald and James Curley.
Founded in 1722, Christ Church in the City of Boston, known as the Old North Church, is Boston’s oldest surviving church and most visited historical site.
The USS Constitution Museum has a suggested admission of: USS Constitution (the Ship) is free to visit and requires a photo I.D. for those 18 or older. Set sail for adventure and discover the history of “Old Ironsides” – the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world – with interactive exhibits, hands-on programs, and a vast collection of artifacts that is fun for all ages.
Okay, okay, just one more post about Patriot’s Day. Then we can move on to something new. There are just so many interesting things that happened because of Patriot’s Day.
Minutemen companies marched long distances to reach Concord
Some reeenactors commemorate those marches each year
Last summer, I had the idea to walk along the British Regular’s route from Charlestown to Concord. First of all, my grandma was incredulous: you can’t just up and walk 18 miles she said. However, the weekend we planned to do it didn’t work out, and I was left thinking to do it sometime in the future. I did ask around if anyone already did that, and the answer seemed to be no.
But I did find the Sudbury Minutemen, who march every April 19th along the route that a Sudbury company took as a commemoration. The public is welcome to join them, although there ended up being only one other person in “civilian clothing.”
Sudbury Center at 6 am
As I said, this is a march of the Sudbury Minutemen, and there is a difference between minutemen and militia. Participation in the militia was required, being a minuteman was voluntary. Minutemen were called to be ready at “a moment’s notice,” more like half an hour, but still faster than the militia.
All in all, the march from Sudbury center to the North Bridge is approximately 10 miles. The way we perceive distances now is not the same way they did then. In a car, getting from one place to another is no great hurdle. You hop in, and might arrive 15-25 minutes later, fresh as a daisy. Or at least as fresh as you started.
In contrast, a 10 mile trip was a commitment. We left Sudbury at 6:15 in the morning. Some folks had already walked from Wayland (previously part of Sudbury) starting at 4 am.
Salute in a Cemetary
Town Line of Concord
A few of the reenactors have been marching annually for over 50 years. One of them introduced himself to us. Bob was 90 years old! Though he didn’t walk the whole route this year, let’s just say there were a lot of people who didn’t walk it at all.
Along the way, militiamen loaded and shot their muskets willy-nilly. However, there are different blackpowder rules in Sudbury and Concord. So when we reached the Sudbury town line, the men lined up to use up the rest of their gunpowder: Concord doesn’t allow random musket shooting.
Spectators waited along our route to hail the minutemen as we passed by. When marching in step, it really was a thrilling sight. Fifers and drummers played the entire time, lending the whole thing an official air. A couple kids stood at their driveway banging on their own drums while we marched past.
Break at Barrett’s Farm
Waiting for the Train
Quick fun fact: our hired police escort closed down the Route 2 rotary in Concord for us to cross! Those in Massachusetts know this is no easy feat, and at rush hour, no less.
After 5 hours of walking, I didn’t exactly feel at my peak physical ability. Though the minutemen were likely in better shape, I can’t imagine they were feeling spritely upon arrival either. I’m sure they were fueled by adrenaline as they anticipated meeting the Regulars, which surely helped. Can you imagine how long the march would’ve seemed? Not knowing what awaited you at the end? Walking in their footsteps (literally!) gave me a new insight into what that day was like for the colonists.
I must also comment on the friendliness of the group: we were the “new recruits.” Multiple people told us we were welcome to share in their food at the rest stops. Reenactors had us step into line with them, and we were encouraged to come back next year.
If you have the chance, by all means march with the Sudbury Minutemen next year. What an experience! Dress up only if you can/want to. The pace is steady; I was never out of breath, and there are cars to hop in if you need a break. Mark your calendars for April 19th (they stick with the actual date, not the state holiday). But whatever you do, don’t march behind the musicians 😉
The Sudbury Companies of Militia and Minute preserve American heritage and educate the public through reenactments, performances, speaker events, a monthly muster, a Colonial Faire, parades, and other educational, fun events.
Between the getting up early for the bike ride, then the Sudbury Minutemen March, holidays, TeenPact, and the play I’ve had hardly enough sleep to actually write about what I’ve been doing. So I apologize for the sporadic (more like completely absent) posts of late. I really want to be more regular about posting every Tuesday. Hang with me there 😉
Back to business then. Now you know all about the Patriots’ Day reenactment itself, but do you know about the history surrounding the event? I’m pretty sure we’ve all heard of The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere and the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World.” But I think we should dig a bit deeper than that. Especially since the first of those two is quite a bit misleading.
Paul Revere didn’t make it all the way to Concord
The Regulars marched all the way back in the same day
First of all, you should know that there are happenings all throughout the month of April commemorating April 1775. I headed to Minuteman National Historical Park for my information, but other towns along the route host their own celebrations. The Saturday before Patriots’ Day was particularly crammed with functions.
Once I got some family members to come along, we left for Lexington towards the end of the day’s festivities. Our first stop was at Whittemore House, just behind the Visitors’ Center. This building is not open very often, so I was excited to have a chance to peek inside.
However, it was a bit anticlimactic. By the time we arrived, all the reenactors had left. Inside, there were plaques mentioning important details about the house, and a few activities. I enjoyed looking through the recipe cards, and the daily tasks blocks.
Whittemore House
12 Year Old Girl’s Jobs
Inside of the Walls
A Man’s Tasks
Fireplace with Ash Chute in Corner
After we explored, we drove back towards Concord to stop in at the Hartwell Tavern. Unlike Whittemore House, the Tavern will be open for the summer season on June 22nd.
In between these two buildings is the site of Paul Revere’s capture. Though the famous rider brought his warning to Lexington, he wasn’t able to evade the Regulars on his way to Concord. Fortunately, William Dawes got away, along with Samuel Prescott who dashed the message onwards.
Dawes is often forgotten, but he rode out from Boston as well. Revere was sent across the river, while Dawes bluffed his way by the guard at the Boston Neck. Prescott joined them just outside of Lexington, and he was the only one to actually bring the news to Concord. Dawes lost his horse, and Prescott arrived first, setting the alarm bell clanging.
At the Hartwell Tavern parking lot, the trail leading to the building is to the left. Once you pass the restrooms, the tavern is at the “T” in the trail.
When we arrived, the tavern was surrounded by reenactors, which looked very cool. They had gathered for a afterparty at the end of a long day, but visitors were still welcome for a little while longer.
I definitely want to go back to the tavern, maybe go on a tour. One room was full of women spinning yarn, another was a bedchamber, and the largest had a bar and table. Unfortunately, we weren’t allowed to stay long.
On Sunday, my sister, our friend, and I drove back out to see the Col. James Barrett’s Farm. The Regulars were lining up when we got there. In formation, they marched off down the road. We hopped back in the car, and followed them. Once we passed them, we parked, watched as they passed by. They were headed to the North Bridge, and so were we.
At the North Bridge Visitors’ Center, we saw a plank believed to be from the original North Bridge. There’s an exhibit with full size 18th century military regalia, a 3-D map of the battles of April 19th, 1775, and a short movie on the same. Of course, there’s also a gift shop.
After walking down to the North Bridge itself, we headed home. By the way, if you don’t want to walk as far, you can circle around from the visitor’s center to another parking lot. The path is significantly shorter.
The North Bridge was the last stop for some of the Regulars on that fateful day. Most of the soldiers stayed in Concord, but about 200 continued on. 100 were left at the bridge, and the rest marched on to Barrett’s Farm. They searched the house; the only person inside was a 65 year old woman.
From their perch on a hill, the gathered minutemen saw smoke rising from Concord. In actuality, it originated from the Regulars putting water on any fires, but the colonists thought the town was burning. So they descended upon the bridge.
Once the British soldiers were repulsed at North Bridge, a rout taking them all the way back to Boston began. Throughout the day, more and more minutemen and militia from surrounding towns arrived — there were even some from New Hampshire. I can’t help but think of the poor Regulars. Up in the wee hours, they marched for 6 hours, were shot at twice, then retreated to Boston amidst a rain of bullets.
Take a look at this Battle Road Trail Map! (Just a small section of their route.)
Vehicle Navigation Systems and GPS units may provide inaccurate information. This can send drivers the wrong way on roads to sites which never had actual assigned addresses (such as former farm fields and swamps), leading them to dead ends or areas prohibited to the public, or sending them on roads which are not for vehicle use.
Hey everyone! I know this is different from what I usually post, but I wanted to let you all know about an upcoming event.
My very own Bolton Historical Society is putting on a small play next Sunday, May 19th, at 3pm. The play covers the 10 years leading up to the Revolutionary War, even using direct quotes from the people of Bolton.
As part of the Freedom’s Way National Heritage Area’s Hidden Treasures program, we can be found in their brochure and website as well.
We’ll be holding the event in the barn, but the house will be open for visitors, and there will be refreshments afterwards.
I hope to see you there, and please enjoy other Hidden Treasures programs too!
