Life as a passenger on a ship going around Cape Horn in 1849
And what of the passengers on a California-bound ship in 1849? What could they expect? First class passengers’ fare was around $150...
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James Wheeling
- Jun 19, 2022
- 4 min
Sailors were an interesting crowd in 1849
So, what kind of people were sailors in the year 1849? The answer? A mixed lot. Typically, sailors were men who chose to make sailing...
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James Wheeling
- May 13, 2022
- 4 min
Too much wind or not enough current, or both!— Sailing around Cape Horn in 1849
Having grown up in a world where engines rule everything, the idea of being at the whim of the wind is hard for me to conceive. I’ve...
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James Wheeling
- Mar 22, 2022
- 3 min
Smooshing History
Manuscript update: I’m happy to report that I have finished the manuscript for the newly renamed, “Zephyr’s Gantlet.” I now have it out...
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James Wheeling
- Mar 18, 2022
- 3 min
First Blog of 2022
It’s been quite a while since I last blogged and there’s a lot to catch up on. This blog will be less historical and more biographical in...
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James Wheeling
- Mar 18, 2021
- 4 min
Cornelius Vanderbilt and the ATC-Nicaragua Passage
As eluded to in the last, I was led to this “what the…?" moment by a friend of the family who has traveled extensively in Nicaragua. My...
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James Wheeling
- Mar 14, 2021
- 4 min
Just how many options did a gold-crazed opportunist have for getting to California?
For many on the East Coast of the United States during the California Gold Rush, sailing around Cape Horn was a very popular option...
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James Wheeling
- Feb 9, 2021
- 3 min
Truly, the first ones in California were the winners.
In our modern life of being able to communicate instantly, it is hard to imagine that historically, it could take as long as six months...
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James Wheeling
- Jan 1, 2021
- 4 min
Civilian Ships and the Mexican American War
I’ve touched on the political and nationalism ambitions of President Polk when he took office, especially when it came to Mexico’s...
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James Wheeling
- Oct 12, 2020
- 3 min
New Technology - Morse Code and the Telegraph
Technology is everywhere. Most of us wouldn’t be able to function without it in our lives. As a late baby boomer, I remember the first...
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James Wheeling
- Sep 23, 2020
- 2 min
Les "Couteaux de Chasse Pistolets" and Other Legendary Dumonthier Innovations
I’ve mentioned, in earlier blogs, my joy when I stumble upon a new idea or inspiration befitting my story’s time period of which I was...
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James Wheeling
- Aug 20, 2020
- 4 min
Tudor Ice - Establishing the Ice Trade
I’ve written some pretty heavy blogs of late so I thought it might be refreshing for all of us to explore a lighter subject, one that...
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James Wheeling
- Jul 11, 2020
- 3 min
Newburyport - A City of History and Architecture
A trip to Newbu
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James Wheeling
- Jun 22, 2020
- 4 min
Another Visit : Lowell Mills
One benefit about having our children go to college out-of-state was the opportunity to visit them when they had a break and didn’t want...
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James Wheeling
- Oct 9, 2019
- 4 min
Women in the Saddle
As a twentieth-century girl, seeing a woman astraddle on horseback is a common sight. But, in 1849, when horseback travel was reserved...
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James Wheeling
- Sep 26, 2019
- 2 min
The Cult of True Womanhood – seriously, it was a thing.
It is hard to imagine in our world today, that there was actually such a thing as The Cult of True Womanhood. This article, by Barbara...
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James Wheeling
- Sep 20, 2019
- 3 min
Was coverture a woman’s refuge or a grand swindle?
In our modern time, coverture isn’t an everyday word. Its implications do still affect us but not nearly like they did in the 17th, 18th,...
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James Wheeling
- Aug 22, 2019
- 4 min
Banking, the Economy and the Value of Money in 1849
In most of our lifetimes, we have had the benefit of the Federal Reserve System, created in 1913, to provide the United States with a...
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James Wheeling
- Aug 13, 2019
- 2 min
The Mormon Migration
Keeping in the theme of the mid-1800s western migration, there’s another migration that gets little attention now, although it was, at...
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James Wheeling
- Jul 31, 2019
- 4 min
Who can resist the temptation of “free” land?
As a land steward, I understand the feeling that comes with knowing that the land you derive your living from is personally owned. No one...
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