Setting notes for "Dealing with Historical Events and Characters"
Here are the setting notes for " Dealing with Historical Events and Characters."
"When the venture has been made of dealing with historical events and characters, it always seems fair towards the reader to avow what liberties have been taken, and how much of the sketch is founded on history."
-- Charlotte Mary Yonge
Alicia's Eastern dress is a spectacular confection of pale yellow silk adorned with yards of bobbin lace, gold embroidery, bows, and gold silk tulle. A matching hat is the height of fashion, and the slippers are covered in tiny crystal beads. The outfit is suited to a wealthy girl for social occasions.
Alicia's Western dress is blue calico adorned with ruffles and yards of braid trim. Simpler than the Eastern dress, this is a practical choice for a wealthy girl in a dusty frontier environment.
In the 1800s, maids sometimes wore a uniform, but other times got hand-me-downs from a mistress. By mid-centry, simple uniforms were becoming common, usually a dark plain dress of wool (in cold weather) or cotton (in warm weather) with a white apron. Wealthier households were more likely to provide nice-looking uniforms, including ruffles or lace on the apron. Nannies dressed as maids, though often with shorter skirts to avoid tripping small children, and sometimes softer colors like blue or gray.
Lorry dresses as a dandy gentleman, largely inspired by illustrations of them riding velocipedes like he does at the faire.
Cheval dresses in butler livery. Any liveried servant had a good job (as did personal servants, the gentleman's valet and lady's maid, who did not wear livery), but the butler was typically the top ranked and most trusted in the household -- a highly trained and much coveted position. The livery is fine brocade adorned with large, elaborate buttons of sterling silver.
Judd's costume features elaborate period tack of black leather with sterling silver decorations including a hand-tooled sidesaddle and horse brasses in assorted designs. And he had to take off his fancy, modern, candy-colored horse boots to wear period horse shoes because pink glitter would've looked ridiculous and even flat black plastic not much better.
Living history spans a variety of establishments, events, and activities that aim to teach and entertain by giving people a glimpse of what life was like in the past. Historical re-enactment is one such example, staging battles or other important events. Historical recreation is more of a hobby sought by people who enjoy a particular craft or activity from the past, or just hanging out with other history buffs in a period environment. Various periods may be featured in living history. In local-America, the Civil War is among the most popular. It appears in Terramagne-America too, but they also do a lot with one rarely if ever seen here: the Reconstruction Era (of which theirs lasted longer and accomplished more). Many people there are fascinated by how their ancestors managed to patch up such a gaping hole in civilization, and that shapes the kind of activities presented in living history.
East Is East and West Is West is a dual series started by a pair of historians in college who later married; the earlier version was primarily epistolary and then it moved to television. The show first launched on STLTV, a channel out of St. Louis that broadcasts to much of Missouri and Illinois; it went national later on. The dual TV series runs in synchronized time, starting in 1866 with one year per season. East Is East is an Eastern set primarily in Boston, Massachusetts while West Is West is a Western set primarily in Rabbitbrush Ridge, Colorado Territory (a bit southeast of modern Limon on Big Sandy Creek). Travel times (by foot, horseback, stagecoach, train, boat, etc.) and communication (by telegraph, letter, etc.) are carefully calculated based on historic frameworks. Every episode of each series half includes at least one communication (usually a letter, occasionally a telegram) to its characters from their friends or relatives in its opposite half. Newspapers appear prominently in both, with real or at least realistic headlines for the time period, which also help characters to keep current on what's happening elsewhere. So do some peridicals like Godey's Lady's Book; in fact the women's store in town is named Godey's Goods.
Inspired by the television series East Is East and West Is West, faires may feature Eastern, Western or dual themes. A major faire like the one featured here can also be divided into Northern and Southern aspects, since these remained salient for years after the Civil War ended. This yields a set of quadrants: Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest which may offer different crafts and activities. Since the series begins in 1866, a year after the war's end, its faires typically focus on the Reconstruction Era in particular.
Certain attractions crisscross the faire. These include the temporary telegraph lines, mail routes, and steampowered ridable miniature railway. Each has an East-West line and a North-South line. You can send a telegram from one part of the faire to another, or take lessons in Morse Code. Letters can be written with period tools and supplies at the post offices, sent by foot carrier or horseback, and picked up at another post office. (A quirk of T-America is that many freedmen who used to run messages for their owners subsequently hired out as private paid messengers or post office employees, hence the popularity of liveried black mailmen in Reconstruction Faires.) The ridable miniature railway uses a steam engine to haul passengers, and in addition to the central cross it also has a beltway around the perimeter of the faire. This makes the event more accessible to people with disabilities. A livery stable provides rides on horseback, stagecoach, or wagon along similar routes for guests, but re-enactors with their own mounts or equipment are not limited to those. Sidesaddles are available for ladies wishing to ride in character. The League of American Wheelers offers lessons of bicycle history and rides velocipedes such as a boneshaker or a penny-farthing. Native American tribal booths or events art may be located in the quadrant of their traditional territory or their removed territory, so they are scattered around the faire.
The Eastern part of the faire focuses on the arts and crafts of civilization such as public education, the press, fine arts, and entertainment. Owing to gender divisions of the time and genre, it is more dominated by women. Attractions include concerts, historic photo booths, polite vaudeville shows, and theatre. Competitions include debates, memory club recitals of period documents, and spelling bees. Crafts feature embroidery, flower pressing, glassblowing, jewelry making, lacemaking, paper quilling, quilting, and tatting. Shops offer books, music and instruments, period clothes, parlor games, and Mild East souvenirs. Food booths sell historic dishes among other things; see some 1800s cookbooks.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002115/ (gender imbalance from Civil War, archived)
https://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/11600909.html (Easterns, archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaudeville (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteenth-century_theatre (archived)
https://www.mastersofgames.com/misc/faq/faq-victorian-games.htm (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitive_debate_in_the_United_States (archived)
https://artofmemory.com/clubs/ (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_bee (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century_in_fashion (archived)
https://web.archive.org/web/20210617205549/https://www.osv.org/virtual-village/historical-recipes/
https://saltinmycoffee.com/free-online-1800s-cookbooks/ (archived)
The Western part of the faire focuses on pioneer arts and crafts such as homesteading skills. Owing to gender divisions of the time and genre, it is more dominated by men. Attractions include concert saloons, gambling, historic photo booths, medicine shows, Wild West shows, panning for gold, and Western dancing. A quirk of medicine shows in T-America is modern historians suspect that amongst the practical herbalism, mistaken beliefs, and outright fraud were at least a few instances of Super-Gizmology because a handful of patent medicines had documented effectiveness but could not be replicated by anyone else. Snake oil salesmen are generally considered to have been early mad scientists. Crafts feature blacksmithing, campfire cooking, candlemaking, leatherworking, pottery, rag rug making, rope making, soapmaking, and woodworking. Shops offer books, cowboy memorabilia, equestrian gear, Old West clothes, and Wild West souvenirs. Food booths sell pioneer foods among other things.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002115/ (gender imbalance from Civil War, archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_saloon (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine_show (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_medicine (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_oil (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_West_shows (archived)
https://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/western.htm (archived)
https://workingtheflame.com/old-west-fashion/ (archived)
https://homesteading.com/pioneer-recipes/ (archived)
Individual quadrants have a few more specialties.
The Northeast has engravers, clockworks, abolitionist history, blackface minstrel shows, ballroom dancing, quadrille dancing, Haudenosaunee culture, Narragansett culture, maple sugaring, and New England cuisine.
https://dinotracksdiscovery.org/supporting/swapfull/context/abolition-new-england/ (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show (archived)
https://www.adventuresindance.com/2017/01/timeline-for-the-popular-dances-of-the-victorian-era/ (ballroom, archived)
https://www.loc.gov/collections/dance-instruction-manuals-from-1490-to-1920/articles-and-essays/western-social-dance-an-overview-of-the-collection/nineteenth-century-social-dance/ (archived)
https://americanindian.si.edu/sites/1/files/pdf/education/HaudenosauneeGuide.pdf (archived)
https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/images/winter_08.pdf (maple sugaring, archived)
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/36689/36689-h/36689-h.htm (cuisine, archived)
The Southeast includes Appalachian crafts, speed-sketch artists, black minstrel shows, blues music, Cajun music, Creole music, dulcimers and their music, Negro spirituals, zydeco music, Cherokee culture, Seminole culture, Southern Appalachian square dance, Underground Railroad history, scalawags and carpetbaggers, Appalachian food, Cajun and Creole food, Gullah Geechee food, and soul food.
https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1077&context=etd (Appalachian crafts, archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajun_music (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole_music (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituals (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zydeco (archived)
https://www.cherokee.org/about-the-nation/history/ (archived)
https://balladofamerica.org/southern-square-dance/ (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_Railroad (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalawag (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpetbagger (archived)
https://news.lib.wvu.edu/2013/12/09/recipes-from-the-archives/ (archived)
https://roadsandkingdoms.com/travel-guide/new-orleans/10-dishes-new-orleans/ (archived)
https://www.thetastetutor.com/recipes/category/Gullah+Geechee (archived)
https://bookshop.org/lists/black-american-cookbooks-from-1800-1950 (archived)
Creole Cookery Book 1885
https://louisiana-anthology.org/texts/walmsley/walmsley--creole_cookery.html
The Southwest features basketmaking, coral and turqouise jewelry, pottery, silversmithing, weaving, cowboy music, Arapaho culture, Navajo culture, Pueblo culture, buffalo burgers, chuckwagon food, powwow food, and rodeo sports.
http://navajopeople.org/blog/navajo-history/ (archived)
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-oldwestrecipes/ (archived)
https://www.powwows.com/25-favorite-native-american-recipes/
The Northwest offers birchbark crafts, canoe making, Northwest Coast art, soapstone carving, logging songs, Blackfeet culture, Chinook culture, Sioux culture, salmon, kayaking, and lumbersports.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Coast_art (archived)
https://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu:181918/datastream/PDF/view (archived)
http://www.native-languages.org/chinook_culture.htm (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Lumberjack_sports (archived)
nicknamed "penny-farthing" in England (a penny representing the front wheel, and a coin smaller in size and value, the farthing, representing the rear). They were fast, but unsafe. The rider was high up in the air and traveling at a great speed. If he hit a bad spot in the road he could easily be thrown over the front wheel and be seriously injured (two broken wrists were common, in attempts to break a fall)[37] or even killed. "Taking a header" (also known as "coming a cropper"), was not at all uncommon.
The rider's legs were often caught underneath the handlebars, so falling free of the machine was often not possible. The dangerous nature of these bicycles (as well as Victorian mores) made cycling the preserve of adventurous young men. The risk averse, such as elderly gentlemen, preferred the more stable tricycles or quadracycles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_bicycle
Learn to ride a penny-farthing (this one has mounting pegs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuXmuhmtwz4
Replica penny-farthings for sale (archived)
https://www.worksmancycles.com/high-wheelers.html
Halma game (archived)
https://www.mastersofgames.com/cat/board/halma.htm#MTG-033
Black Owned Publishing Companies (archived)
https://aalbc.com/books/black_owned_publishing_companies.php
Black Owned Production Companies (archived)
https://local.black/businesses/tag/bc/production-companies/
Tribes of the Draft Michael Longcor
https://travelingwithintheworld.ning.com/group/cushtibokgypsyvannerhorse/forum/topics/tribes-of-the-draft-michael
Freedom papers were early African-American newspapers in Terramagne-America, most prevalent during the Reconstruction Era. While many were owned and written by freedmen, some were founded by white abolitionists who simply switched their focus from freeing slaves to supporting freedmen. Shortly after the Civil War, these papers offered tools of freedom such as literacy lessons, political information, restitution instructions, job listings, and extensive ads aimed at reconnecting family members separated by slavery. They fared much better than here, because T-American versions included more cartoons and other graphics for less-literate users. While most faded out around the early 1900s, some still remain in print, mostly in big cities with large black populations, or as part of a historical or activist society. These include Freedom's Fanfare (South Fulton, Georgia), Black Jack's Journal (Jackson, Mississippi), Birmingham Answers (Birmingham, Alabama), Florida Finder (Miami Gardens, Florida), Tennessee Libertee (Memphis, Tennessee), Better Era (Baltimore, Maryland), Peachtree Borer (Augusta, Georgia), Liberté-Égalité (in French; New Orleans, Louisiana), Virginia Reader (Hampton, Virginia), Lone Star-Pioneer (Beaumont, Texas), Fayetteville Seeker (Fayetteville, North Carolina), Upriver Report (St. Louis, Missouri), Silent Sentinel (Quaker; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and Evening Freeman (Bluehill, Missouri). Two of these, the Fayetteville Seeker and the Upriver Report, currently serve human trafficking survivors and their families. The Cherokee Flame (Tahlequah, Oklahoma) was started by black Cherokees seeking freed relatives, and currently focuses on missing and murdered indigenous girls and women; it is available in Cherokee and in English.
The NAACP still has theirs, even though they were founded in 1909.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstruction_era (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolitionism (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAACP
Peachtree Borer
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/peach-insect-pests/
Black Newspapers (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:African-American_newspapers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_American_newspapers
The list below displays each city (or city-equivalent) in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico with a population over 100,000 and a Black proportion over 30% as of the 2020 Census. It includes the city's total population, the number of Black people in the city, and the percentage of people in the city who are Black as of the 2020 Census. The table is initially sorted by the Black proportion of each city but is sortable by any of its columns, as can be found by clicking the table headers.
Cities where people who are Black alone are not at least 30% of the population, while people who are either Black alone, or, in combination with another race, do form at least 30% of the population, are italicized.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._cities_with_large_Black_populations
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8-10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly 3.3 square miles (9 km2) of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 100,000 residents homeless.[3] The fire began in a neighborhood southwest of the city center. A long period of hot, dry, windy conditions, and the wooden construction prevalent in the city, led to the conflagration. The fire leapt the south branch of the Chicago River and destroyed much of central Chicago and then leapt the main branch of the river, consuming the Near North Side.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Chicago_Fire
Note that in Terramagne, a number of the last confirmed slaves survived remarkable times -- a case of extended lifespan likely brought on because only the most durable could survive slavery at all. These included Sylvester Magee
(May 29, 1841-October 15, 1971; 130 years old), Mary Hardway Walker (May 6, 1848-December 1, 1969; 121 years old; she had a child who died in his 90s), and Jeff Doby (February 6, 1858-March 26, 1963; 105 years old; two of his sons also lived to be nearly 100 years old). Of course, many former slaves were not documented and their lifespans unknown.
Slavery existed in the United States since European colonizers brought Africans to English North America in Jamestown in 1619 (still at the time of the Thirteen Colonies), until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 5, 1865, under which it was abolished nationally. The last known survivors who were born into legalized slavery or enslaved prior to the passage of the amendment are listed below. The list also contains the last known survivors in various states which abolished legal slavery prior to 1865. Some birth dates are difficult to verify due to lack of birth documentation for most enslaved individuals.
List of last survivors of American slavery[edit]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_last_survivors_of_American_slavery
Adinkra are symbols from Ghana that represent concepts or aphorisms. Adinkra are used extensively in fabrics, logos and pottery. They are incorporated into walls and other architectural features. Adinkra symbols appear on some traditional Akan goldweights. The symbols are also carved on stools for domestic and ritual use. Tourism has led to new departures in the use of the symbols in items such as T-shirts and jewellery.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adinkra_symbols
27
Dono
The tension talking drum. A symbol of appelation, praise, goodwill and rhythm.
28
Duafe
Wooden comb. A symbol of feminine consideration or good feminine qualities such as patience, prudence, fondness, love, and care.
https://www.adinkrasymbols.org/
Carolina Gold Rice (archived)
http://www.thecarolinagoldricefoundation.org/carolinagoldrice
HOPPIN' JOHN & LIMPIN' SUSAN SWEET PLANTAIN STIR FRY (archived)
https://www.thetastetutor.com/recipes/hoppin-john-limpin-susan
Seafood Boil (archived)
https://fitfoodiefinds.com/easy-seafood-boil-recipe/
If you don't want to make your own seasoning blend, you can shop from this list of Black Owned Seafood Seasonings to Use in Your Next Seafood Boil.
https://www.blacksouthernbelle.com/black-owned-seafood-seasonings-and-how-to-host-a-seafood-boil/ (archived)
Seafood Gumbo (archived)
https://edibleparadise.com/main-courses/fish-and-seafood/seafood-gumbo/
Jambalaya (archived)
https://www.196flavors.com/jambalaya/
Chickee (archived)
https://www.aaanativearts.com/seminole-homes-are-called-chickees
https://www.sunshinetikihuts.com/faqs-chickee-hut
How to Build (archived)
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/howtobuild_chickee.htm
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/pag2.1.htm (shapes)
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/pag3.htm (materials)
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/pag5.htm (collecting palm fronds)
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/pag6.htm (attaching)
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/pag7.htm (platforms)
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/pag8.htm (lifestyle)
Underground Railroad Quilts
https://www.flatrockarchives.com/underground-rr-quilts (archived)
https://www.adventuresofadiymom.com/2022/05/log-cabin-quilt-pattern.html (archived)
https://www.favequilts.com/Miscellaneous-Quilt-Projects/15-Free-Log-Cabin-Quilt-Patterns (archived)
The Log Cabin is a simple type of quilt with many variations, using rectangles to make a square block. The North Star is another, which creates an 8-pointed star. Put them together and you get this Carpenter's Star pattern, shown here in burgundy, ivory, and navy.
Carpenter's Star Quilt Pattern (saved, archived)
https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/fd/a4/64/fda464056663154bbc2d8eeccc807aaa.jpg
Sweet Potato Pie (archived)
https://joyfoodsunshine.com/sweet-potato-pie/
Canvas Sizes (archived)
https://acrylgiessen.com/en/what-are-standard-canvas-sizes/
Canvas Size Recommendations Based on the Number of People (archived)
Here are some canvas size recommendations for different compositions:
1. 16"x20" paintings: the couple or the couple + one person or pet
2. 18"x24" paintings: the couple or the couple + up to 4 guests
3. 24"x30" paintings: the couple or the couple + up to 10 guests
4. 30"x40" paintings: the couple or the couple +up to 20 guests
5. 36"x48" or bigger paintings: the couple or the couple + up to 40 guests
https://www.mauiweddingart.com/post/what-is-the-best-size-for-my-live-wedding-painting
(archived)
Because religious icons are traditionally painted on wood, any wooden panel for artwork is sometimes called an "icon panel." This surface is ideal for large or important paintings, and is popular for wedding portraits. While most street artists prefer affordable surfaces like paper or canvasboard, and smaller sizes, some also stock finer and larger options in case they get a customer with deep pockets in the mood to make a major memory.
https://russianicons.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/an-icon-begins-with-wood/
Chrysanthemums (archived)
https://worstroom.com/types-of-chrysanthemum/
Bachelor's Button (archived)
https://gardenchronicle.com/how-to-grow-bachelors-button-centaurea-2/
Dahlias (archived)
https://www.petalrepublic.com/when-do-dahlias-bloom/
https://www.allaboutgardening.com/white-dahlias/
Michaelmas Daisy (archived)
https://www.perennials.com/plants/aster-novibelgii-white-opal.html
https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/arts/revisiting-the-jackson-square-art-colony-in-new-orleans/article_3939159a-8055-535d-bee4-c12c3a65d285.html
[To be continued ...]
"When the venture has been made of dealing with historical events and characters, it always seems fair towards the reader to avow what liberties have been taken, and how much of the sketch is founded on history."
-- Charlotte Mary Yonge
Alicia's Eastern dress is a spectacular confection of pale yellow silk adorned with yards of bobbin lace, gold embroidery, bows, and gold silk tulle. A matching hat is the height of fashion, and the slippers are covered in tiny crystal beads. The outfit is suited to a wealthy girl for social occasions.
Alicia's Western dress is blue calico adorned with ruffles and yards of braid trim. Simpler than the Eastern dress, this is a practical choice for a wealthy girl in a dusty frontier environment.
In the 1800s, maids sometimes wore a uniform, but other times got hand-me-downs from a mistress. By mid-centry, simple uniforms were becoming common, usually a dark plain dress of wool (in cold weather) or cotton (in warm weather) with a white apron. Wealthier households were more likely to provide nice-looking uniforms, including ruffles or lace on the apron. Nannies dressed as maids, though often with shorter skirts to avoid tripping small children, and sometimes softer colors like blue or gray.
Lorry dresses as a dandy gentleman, largely inspired by illustrations of them riding velocipedes like he does at the faire.
Cheval dresses in butler livery. Any liveried servant had a good job (as did personal servants, the gentleman's valet and lady's maid, who did not wear livery), but the butler was typically the top ranked and most trusted in the household -- a highly trained and much coveted position. The livery is fine brocade adorned with large, elaborate buttons of sterling silver.
Judd's costume features elaborate period tack of black leather with sterling silver decorations including a hand-tooled sidesaddle and horse brasses in assorted designs. And he had to take off his fancy, modern, candy-colored horse boots to wear period horse shoes because pink glitter would've looked ridiculous and even flat black plastic not much better.
Living history spans a variety of establishments, events, and activities that aim to teach and entertain by giving people a glimpse of what life was like in the past. Historical re-enactment is one such example, staging battles or other important events. Historical recreation is more of a hobby sought by people who enjoy a particular craft or activity from the past, or just hanging out with other history buffs in a period environment. Various periods may be featured in living history. In local-America, the Civil War is among the most popular. It appears in Terramagne-America too, but they also do a lot with one rarely if ever seen here: the Reconstruction Era (of which theirs lasted longer and accomplished more). Many people there are fascinated by how their ancestors managed to patch up such a gaping hole in civilization, and that shapes the kind of activities presented in living history.
East Is East and West Is West is a dual series started by a pair of historians in college who later married; the earlier version was primarily epistolary and then it moved to television. The show first launched on STLTV, a channel out of St. Louis that broadcasts to much of Missouri and Illinois; it went national later on. The dual TV series runs in synchronized time, starting in 1866 with one year per season. East Is East is an Eastern set primarily in Boston, Massachusetts while West Is West is a Western set primarily in Rabbitbrush Ridge, Colorado Territory (a bit southeast of modern Limon on Big Sandy Creek). Travel times (by foot, horseback, stagecoach, train, boat, etc.) and communication (by telegraph, letter, etc.) are carefully calculated based on historic frameworks. Every episode of each series half includes at least one communication (usually a letter, occasionally a telegram) to its characters from their friends or relatives in its opposite half. Newspapers appear prominently in both, with real or at least realistic headlines for the time period, which also help characters to keep current on what's happening elsewhere. So do some peridicals like Godey's Lady's Book; in fact the women's store in town is named Godey's Goods.
Inspired by the television series East Is East and West Is West, faires may feature Eastern, Western or dual themes. A major faire like the one featured here can also be divided into Northern and Southern aspects, since these remained salient for years after the Civil War ended. This yields a set of quadrants: Northeast, Southeast, Southwest, and Northwest which may offer different crafts and activities. Since the series begins in 1866, a year after the war's end, its faires typically focus on the Reconstruction Era in particular.
Certain attractions crisscross the faire. These include the temporary telegraph lines, mail routes, and steampowered ridable miniature railway. Each has an East-West line and a North-South line. You can send a telegram from one part of the faire to another, or take lessons in Morse Code. Letters can be written with period tools and supplies at the post offices, sent by foot carrier or horseback, and picked up at another post office. (A quirk of T-America is that many freedmen who used to run messages for their owners subsequently hired out as private paid messengers or post office employees, hence the popularity of liveried black mailmen in Reconstruction Faires.) The ridable miniature railway uses a steam engine to haul passengers, and in addition to the central cross it also has a beltway around the perimeter of the faire. This makes the event more accessible to people with disabilities. A livery stable provides rides on horseback, stagecoach, or wagon along similar routes for guests, but re-enactors with their own mounts or equipment are not limited to those. Sidesaddles are available for ladies wishing to ride in character. The League of American Wheelers offers lessons of bicycle history and rides velocipedes such as a boneshaker or a penny-farthing. Native American tribal booths or events art may be located in the quadrant of their traditional territory or their removed territory, so they are scattered around the faire.
The Eastern part of the faire focuses on the arts and crafts of civilization such as public education, the press, fine arts, and entertainment. Owing to gender divisions of the time and genre, it is more dominated by women. Attractions include concerts, historic photo booths, polite vaudeville shows, and theatre. Competitions include debates, memory club recitals of period documents, and spelling bees. Crafts feature embroidery, flower pressing, glassblowing, jewelry making, lacemaking, paper quilling, quilting, and tatting. Shops offer books, music and instruments, period clothes, parlor games, and Mild East souvenirs. Food booths sell historic dishes among other things; see some 1800s cookbooks.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002115/ (gender imbalance from Civil War, archived)
https://ysabetwordsmith.dreamwidth.org/11600909.html (Easterns, archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vaudeville (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nineteenth-century_theatre (archived)
https://www.mastersofgames.com/misc/faq/faq-victorian-games.htm (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Competitive_debate_in_the_United_States (archived)
https://artofmemory.com/clubs/ (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spelling_bee (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/19th_century_in_fashion (archived)
https://web.archive.org/web/20210617205549/https://www.osv.org/virtual-village/historical-recipes/
https://saltinmycoffee.com/free-online-1800s-cookbooks/ (archived)
The Western part of the faire focuses on pioneer arts and crafts such as homesteading skills. Owing to gender divisions of the time and genre, it is more dominated by men. Attractions include concert saloons, gambling, historic photo booths, medicine shows, Wild West shows, panning for gold, and Western dancing. A quirk of medicine shows in T-America is modern historians suspect that amongst the practical herbalism, mistaken beliefs, and outright fraud were at least a few instances of Super-Gizmology because a handful of patent medicines had documented effectiveness but could not be replicated by anyone else. Snake oil salesmen are generally considered to have been early mad scientists. Crafts feature blacksmithing, campfire cooking, candlemaking, leatherworking, pottery, rag rug making, rope making, soapmaking, and woodworking. Shops offer books, cowboy memorabilia, equestrian gear, Old West clothes, and Wild West souvenirs. Food booths sell pioneer foods among other things.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3002115/ (gender imbalance from Civil War, archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concert_saloon (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicine_show (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Patent_medicine (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snake_oil (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wild_West_shows (archived)
https://www.centralhome.com/ballroomcountry/western.htm (archived)
https://workingtheflame.com/old-west-fashion/ (archived)
https://homesteading.com/pioneer-recipes/ (archived)
Individual quadrants have a few more specialties.
The Northeast has engravers, clockworks, abolitionist history, blackface minstrel shows, ballroom dancing, quadrille dancing, Haudenosaunee culture, Narragansett culture, maple sugaring, and New England cuisine.
https://dinotracksdiscovery.org/supporting/swapfull/context/abolition-new-england/ (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show (archived)
https://www.adventuresindance.com/2017/01/timeline-for-the-popular-dances-of-the-victorian-era/ (ballroom, archived)
https://www.loc.gov/collections/dance-instruction-manuals-from-1490-to-1920/articles-and-essays/western-social-dance-an-overview-of-the-collection/nineteenth-century-social-dance/ (archived)
https://americanindian.si.edu/sites/1/files/pdf/education/HaudenosauneeGuide.pdf (archived)
https://nj.gov/dep/parksandforests/parks/images/winter_08.pdf (maple sugaring, archived)
https://www.gutenberg.org/files/36689/36689-h/36689-h.htm (cuisine, archived)
The Southeast includes Appalachian crafts, speed-sketch artists, black minstrel shows, blues music, Cajun music, Creole music, dulcimers and their music, Negro spirituals, zydeco music, Cherokee culture, Seminole culture, Southern Appalachian square dance, Underground Railroad history, scalawags and carpetbaggers, Appalachian food, Cajun and Creole food, Gullah Geechee food, and soul food.
https://dc.etsu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1077&context=etd (Appalachian crafts, archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minstrel_show (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blues (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cajun_music (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creole_music (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirituals (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zydeco (archived)
https://www.cherokee.org/about-the-nation/history/ (archived)
https://balladofamerica.org/southern-square-dance/ (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Underground_Railroad (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scalawag (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpetbagger (archived)
https://news.lib.wvu.edu/2013/12/09/recipes-from-the-archives/ (archived)
https://roadsandkingdoms.com/travel-guide/new-orleans/10-dishes-new-orleans/ (archived)
https://www.thetastetutor.com/recipes/category/Gullah+Geechee (archived)
https://bookshop.org/lists/black-american-cookbooks-from-1800-1950 (archived)
Creole Cookery Book 1885
https://louisiana-anthology.org/texts/walmsley/walmsley--creole_cookery.html
The Southwest features basketmaking, coral and turqouise jewelry, pottery, silversmithing, weaving, cowboy music, Arapaho culture, Navajo culture, Pueblo culture, buffalo burgers, chuckwagon food, powwow food, and rodeo sports.
http://navajopeople.org/blog/navajo-history/ (archived)
https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-oldwestrecipes/ (archived)
https://www.powwows.com/25-favorite-native-american-recipes/
The Northwest offers birchbark crafts, canoe making, Northwest Coast art, soapstone carving, logging songs, Blackfeet culture, Chinook culture, Sioux culture, salmon, kayaking, and lumbersports.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Coast_art (archived)
https://diginole.lib.fsu.edu/islandora/object/fsu:181918/datastream/PDF/view (archived)
http://www.native-languages.org/chinook_culture.htm (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:Lumberjack_sports (archived)
nicknamed "penny-farthing" in England (a penny representing the front wheel, and a coin smaller in size and value, the farthing, representing the rear). They were fast, but unsafe. The rider was high up in the air and traveling at a great speed. If he hit a bad spot in the road he could easily be thrown over the front wheel and be seriously injured (two broken wrists were common, in attempts to break a fall)[37] or even killed. "Taking a header" (also known as "coming a cropper"), was not at all uncommon.
The rider's legs were often caught underneath the handlebars, so falling free of the machine was often not possible. The dangerous nature of these bicycles (as well as Victorian mores) made cycling the preserve of adventurous young men. The risk averse, such as elderly gentlemen, preferred the more stable tricycles or quadracycles.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_bicycle
Learn to ride a penny-farthing (this one has mounting pegs)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AuXmuhmtwz4
Replica penny-farthings for sale (archived)
https://www.worksmancycles.com/high-wheelers.html
Halma game (archived)
https://www.mastersofgames.com/cat/board/halma.htm#MTG-033
Black Owned Publishing Companies (archived)
https://aalbc.com/books/black_owned_publishing_companies.php
Black Owned Production Companies (archived)
https://local.black/businesses/tag/bc/production-companies/
Tribes of the Draft Michael Longcor
https://travelingwithintheworld.ning.com/group/cushtibokgypsyvannerhorse/forum/topics/tribes-of-the-draft-michael
Freedom papers were early African-American newspapers in Terramagne-America, most prevalent during the Reconstruction Era. While many were owned and written by freedmen, some were founded by white abolitionists who simply switched their focus from freeing slaves to supporting freedmen. Shortly after the Civil War, these papers offered tools of freedom such as literacy lessons, political information, restitution instructions, job listings, and extensive ads aimed at reconnecting family members separated by slavery. They fared much better than here, because T-American versions included more cartoons and other graphics for less-literate users. While most faded out around the early 1900s, some still remain in print, mostly in big cities with large black populations, or as part of a historical or activist society. These include Freedom's Fanfare (South Fulton, Georgia), Black Jack's Journal (Jackson, Mississippi), Birmingham Answers (Birmingham, Alabama), Florida Finder (Miami Gardens, Florida), Tennessee Libertee (Memphis, Tennessee), Better Era (Baltimore, Maryland), Peachtree Borer (Augusta, Georgia), Liberté-Égalité (in French; New Orleans, Louisiana), Virginia Reader (Hampton, Virginia), Lone Star-Pioneer (Beaumont, Texas), Fayetteville Seeker (Fayetteville, North Carolina), Upriver Report (St. Louis, Missouri), Silent Sentinel (Quaker; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania), and Evening Freeman (Bluehill, Missouri). Two of these, the Fayetteville Seeker and the Upriver Report, currently serve human trafficking survivors and their families. The Cherokee Flame (Tahlequah, Oklahoma) was started by black Cherokees seeking freed relatives, and currently focuses on missing and murdered indigenous girls and women; it is available in Cherokee and in English.
The NAACP still has theirs, even though they were founded in 1909.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reconstruction_era (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abolitionism (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Civil_War (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NAACP
Peachtree Borer
https://hgic.clemson.edu/factsheet/peach-insect-pests/
Black Newspapers (archived)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Category:African-American_newspapers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_American_newspapers
The list below displays each city (or city-equivalent) in the fifty states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico with a population over 100,000 and a Black proportion over 30% as of the 2020 Census. It includes the city's total population, the number of Black people in the city, and the percentage of people in the city who are Black as of the 2020 Census. The table is initially sorted by the Black proportion of each city but is sortable by any of its columns, as can be found by clicking the table headers.
Cities where people who are Black alone are not at least 30% of the population, while people who are either Black alone, or, in combination with another race, do form at least 30% of the population, are italicized.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_U.S._cities_with_large_Black_populations
The Great Chicago Fire was a conflagration that burned in the American city of Chicago during October 8-10, 1871. The fire killed approximately 300 people, destroyed roughly 3.3 square miles (9 km2) of the city including over 17,000 structures, and left more than 100,000 residents homeless.[3] The fire began in a neighborhood southwest of the city center. A long period of hot, dry, windy conditions, and the wooden construction prevalent in the city, led to the conflagration. The fire leapt the south branch of the Chicago River and destroyed much of central Chicago and then leapt the main branch of the river, consuming the Near North Side.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Chicago_Fire
Note that in Terramagne, a number of the last confirmed slaves survived remarkable times -- a case of extended lifespan likely brought on because only the most durable could survive slavery at all. These included Sylvester Magee
(May 29, 1841-October 15, 1971; 130 years old), Mary Hardway Walker (May 6, 1848-December 1, 1969; 121 years old; she had a child who died in his 90s), and Jeff Doby (February 6, 1858-March 26, 1963; 105 years old; two of his sons also lived to be nearly 100 years old). Of course, many former slaves were not documented and their lifespans unknown.
Slavery existed in the United States since European colonizers brought Africans to English North America in Jamestown in 1619 (still at the time of the Thirteen Colonies), until the passage of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution on December 5, 1865, under which it was abolished nationally. The last known survivors who were born into legalized slavery or enslaved prior to the passage of the amendment are listed below. The list also contains the last known survivors in various states which abolished legal slavery prior to 1865. Some birth dates are difficult to verify due to lack of birth documentation for most enslaved individuals.
List of last survivors of American slavery[edit]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_last_survivors_of_American_slavery
Adinkra are symbols from Ghana that represent concepts or aphorisms. Adinkra are used extensively in fabrics, logos and pottery. They are incorporated into walls and other architectural features. Adinkra symbols appear on some traditional Akan goldweights. The symbols are also carved on stools for domestic and ritual use. Tourism has led to new departures in the use of the symbols in items such as T-shirts and jewellery.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adinkra_symbols
27
Dono
The tension talking drum. A symbol of appelation, praise, goodwill and rhythm.
28
Duafe
Wooden comb. A symbol of feminine consideration or good feminine qualities such as patience, prudence, fondness, love, and care.
https://www.adinkrasymbols.org/
Carolina Gold Rice (archived)
http://www.thecarolinagoldricefoundation.org/carolinagoldrice
HOPPIN' JOHN & LIMPIN' SUSAN SWEET PLANTAIN STIR FRY (archived)
https://www.thetastetutor.com/recipes/hoppin-john-limpin-susan
Seafood Boil (archived)
https://fitfoodiefinds.com/easy-seafood-boil-recipe/
If you don't want to make your own seasoning blend, you can shop from this list of Black Owned Seafood Seasonings to Use in Your Next Seafood Boil.
https://www.blacksouthernbelle.com/black-owned-seafood-seasonings-and-how-to-host-a-seafood-boil/ (archived)
Seafood Gumbo (archived)
https://edibleparadise.com/main-courses/fish-and-seafood/seafood-gumbo/
Jambalaya (archived)
https://www.196flavors.com/jambalaya/
Chickee (archived)
https://www.aaanativearts.com/seminole-homes-are-called-chickees
https://www.sunshinetikihuts.com/faqs-chickee-hut
How to Build (archived)
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/howtobuild_chickee.htm
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/pag2.1.htm (shapes)
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/pag3.htm (materials)
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/pag5.htm (collecting palm fronds)
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/pag6.htm (attaching)
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/pag7.htm (platforms)
http://www.chaosobral.org/kiara/pag8.htm (lifestyle)
Underground Railroad Quilts
https://www.flatrockarchives.com/underground-rr-quilts (archived)
https://www.adventuresofadiymom.com/2022/05/log-cabin-quilt-pattern.html (archived)
https://www.favequilts.com/Miscellaneous-Quilt-Projects/15-Free-Log-Cabin-Quilt-Patterns (archived)
The Log Cabin is a simple type of quilt with many variations, using rectangles to make a square block. The North Star is another, which creates an 8-pointed star. Put them together and you get this Carpenter's Star pattern, shown here in burgundy, ivory, and navy.
Carpenter's Star Quilt Pattern (saved, archived)
https://i.pinimg.com/1200x/fd/a4/64/fda464056663154bbc2d8eeccc807aaa.jpg
Sweet Potato Pie (archived)
https://joyfoodsunshine.com/sweet-potato-pie/
Canvas Sizes (archived)
https://acrylgiessen.com/en/what-are-standard-canvas-sizes/
Canvas Size Recommendations Based on the Number of People (archived)
Here are some canvas size recommendations for different compositions:
1. 16"x20" paintings: the couple or the couple + one person or pet
2. 18"x24" paintings: the couple or the couple + up to 4 guests
3. 24"x30" paintings: the couple or the couple + up to 10 guests
4. 30"x40" paintings: the couple or the couple +up to 20 guests
5. 36"x48" or bigger paintings: the couple or the couple + up to 40 guests
https://www.mauiweddingart.com/post/what-is-the-best-size-for-my-live-wedding-painting
(archived)
Because religious icons are traditionally painted on wood, any wooden panel for artwork is sometimes called an "icon panel." This surface is ideal for large or important paintings, and is popular for wedding portraits. While most street artists prefer affordable surfaces like paper or canvasboard, and smaller sizes, some also stock finer and larger options in case they get a customer with deep pockets in the mood to make a major memory.
https://russianicons.wordpress.com/2013/12/13/an-icon-begins-with-wood/
Chrysanthemums (archived)
https://worstroom.com/types-of-chrysanthemum/
Bachelor's Button (archived)
https://gardenchronicle.com/how-to-grow-bachelors-button-centaurea-2/
Dahlias (archived)
https://www.petalrepublic.com/when-do-dahlias-bloom/
https://www.allaboutgardening.com/white-dahlias/
Michaelmas Daisy (archived)
https://www.perennials.com/plants/aster-novibelgii-white-opal.html
https://www.nola.com/entertainment_life/arts/revisiting-the-jackson-square-art-colony-in-new-orleans/article_3939159a-8055-535d-bee4-c12c3a65d285.html
[To be continued ...]