J. L. BELL is a Massachusetts writer who specializes in (among other things) the start of the American Revolution in and around Boston. He is particularly interested in the experiences of children in 1765-75. He has published scholarly papers and popular articles for both children and adults. He was consultant for an episode of History Detectives, and contributed to a display at Minute Man National Historic Park.

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Wednesday, September 11, 2013

Funtime with the Washington Correspondence

From Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal by Zach Weiner. (Hat tip to John Overholt.)

PERMANENT LINK: 08:30

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5 comments:

John L Smith Jr said...

Who knew George was so hip?

(O.K., JL: were these words actually written by GW? What was a wine cooler of his day? A cask?)

Wednesday, 11 September, 2013
J. L. Bell said...

Oh, yeah, Washington wrote those words. However, his sentence continued “a wine cooler for four bottles.” So it was a specialized container. In another letter he called this one “plated”—covered with metal, I assume.

Given the difficulty of refrigeration in the period, a container for cooling wine was probably a fairly luxurious genteel item.

Wednesday, 11 September, 2013
G. Lovely said...

THIS is an 18th century Wine Cooler:

http://www.pinterest.com/pin/98516310568554328/

Thursday, 12 September, 2013
Mark said...

Salem Loyalist Samuel Curwen spoke in his journal of the coffee houses in London. But these establishments were not what we see today:

"To someone in the 21st century, the term coffee house either conjures up memories of the local drive-through shop or images of dimly lit nightclubs frequented by countercultural poets and musicians. However, the 18th century coffee house was much more -- part social club, part embassy, and part hotel. The dozens of these establishments that could be found in London's financial district each catered to a particular clientele -- lawyers, stock brokers, actors and even merchants from the Thirteen Colonies."

http://www.uelac.org/Loyalist-Trails/2011/Loyalist-Trails-2011.php?issue=201118

Friday, 13 September, 2013
J. L. Bell said...

Coffee houses were basically upper-class taverns. David Conroy's excellent study of taverns in pre-Revolutionary Massachusetts found that Boston's leading coffee-houses paid more in excise taxes than any other business; in other words, they sold more liquor.

Friday, 13 September, 2013

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