Tobacco was everywhere in 1801 Virginia — I didn’t include this in the book
One of the unexpected facts I uncovered while writing Chasing Freedom was just how much tobacco Virginians chewed in 1801. Not just smoked and snuffed – but chewed and chewed constantly. It was everywhere. Men carried tobacco in their pockets. Boys learned to chew almost as soon as they could walk. And even women chewed…
The year was 1802. The gift was cheese. A lot of cheese.
In 1802, a group of proud Baptist farmers in Cheshire, Connecticut, crafted a 1,235‑pound wheel of cheese and carted it all the way to the President’s House in Washington City. Elder John Leland accompanied it, celebrating Jefferson’s support for religious freedom. People lined the roads to cheer as the enormous wheel rolled through their town.Thomas…
Tavern Life in 1801
Sometimes, the most important insights for writing historical fiction come from immersing yourself in the places and spaces of the past. Last year, I visited the Rising Sun Tavern in Fredericksburg, Virginia, a building constructed in 1760 by Charles Washington, George Washington’s youngest brother. It began as his home before becoming a tavern, and today…
