First Notorious Offenders

In today’s technologically advanced and politically divided world, virtual skirmishes, battles, and full-blown wars play out in real time across our social media platforms. Response times between combatants are often […]

Take the Beam Out of Thine Own Eye

When the local Committee of Inspection published a harsh report against Williams and Company in the July 26, 1770 Maryland Gazette, the members must have known they would hear back […]

Such Despicable Characters

My June 11th blog introduced merchant Thomas Williams and his partners as new players to watch in the real-life drama of Annapolis 250 years ago. Back in 1770, Williams and […]

Sky-Rockets in Flight

My Fourth of July was a bit out of the ordinary this year. I’m usually at the William Paca House and Garden shortly after 6 am on Independence Day, getting […]

The Road Not Taken

No one knew it at the time, but on July 5, 1770, America was one day less than six years away from declaring independence. Looking back from 2020 with the […]

The merchant doth protest too much, methinks

In last week’s episode of “Annapolis 250 Years Ago,” a ship had just arrived from Rhode Island, where it was reported “that the Inhabitants of that Colony have broke through […]

What’d We Miss?

As Thomas Jefferson sings at one point in the musical Hamilton, “Can we get back to politics?” When we last looked at the British taxation and American boycott story of […]

That’s Entertainment!

OK, who’s ready for a little break from political, economic, and public health stories? For the past seven weeks, most of my blogs have focused on the repercussions of British […]

A Healthy Gamble?

Interested in undergoing a medical procedure that, if successful, would protect you from the worst effects of a dreaded disease? 250 years ago, that’s the enticing offer that Dr. Henry […]

Sorry, we’re out of paper.

Have you recently experienced a…how to put this delicately…paper shortage? You know…a difficulty in procuring a certain kind of paper that everyone uses quite regularly. I hope you’ve never completely […]

Getting Back to Business?

Is it time to reopen the economy? Has the threat diminished enough to make that a viable option? Do we have enough reliable information on which to base a sound […]