Falling Down The Rabbit Hole
The blog on 18th century New York & other historical facts that distract me.
Writing the 18th Century
If the smell of fresh pencils makes your heart quiver, that’s one more thing you have in common with Jane Austen…Maybe. I actually have no idea. But it could be true.
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Slips on the East River
During the early days of New Amsterdam, when a ship arrived, it anchored off the East River. Small boats which could handle the shallow river’s muddy edge conveyed the cargo and passengers to shore.
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Guy Fawkes Day In America
Was Guy Fawkes ever celebrated in America, or is it purely a British holiday? You’ll be as surprised as I was to learn the truth!
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Colonial Theatres
As soon as professional actors came to the colonies, the first playhouses were built. Which NYC theatre did George Washington visit? Hint: It wasn’t on Broadway.
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Tea Water Pumps
Manhattan’s drinking water has always been famous. However, in the 18th century, you were lucky if it made decent tea.
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Underground Waterways: NYC
The ultimate rabbit hole brings Hallie beneath Manhattan to study the underground waterways and the possibility of fishing in basements!
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Jews in Colonial New York — Part 2
As British laws took over New York, Jews sought the same rights their Christian neighbors enjoyed.
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Jews in Colonial New York — Part 1
More than land changed hands from the Lenape to the Dutch to the British. Religious tolerance and rights also shifted.
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Bowry Lane
Before Chinatown and Five Points, before the street became known as “The Bowery,” it was Bowery Lane, a prior footpath shaped by the Lenape.
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Purim in the Dutch Colonies
In 18th century Suriname and Curacao, Jews, along with Christian and Afro-Caribbean communities, both free and enslaved, celebrated Purim together for a week of debauchery, Carnival style.
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Jewish Women in Colonial America
Colonial American Jewish women shared many commonalities with their Christian neighbors, but certain important features of Jewish law and culture set them apart.
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Magic Lanterns & Peep Shows
Tracing the origins of optical entertainment through the 18th century. Those crazy kids loved to scare each other with phantasmagoria illusions and devilry.
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