Drinking in America, Our Secret History

[Flopper]

The CBS Sunday Morning show did a piece on this book that I though was quite interesting. For example:

• The Pilgrims land on Plymouth Because They Were Out of Beer
• The Boston Tea Party Was a Party Because Colonies Were So Drunk they Threw the Tea in the Harbor
• Paul Revere's Famous Ride Began and Ended at a Tavern With a Number of Stops For Drinks Along the Way
• Warren G. Harding, Our Prohibition President, Upon Giving Up his Beloved Cocktail Parties Died From Unkonwn Causes the Following Week

“Drinking in America" author takes sober look at America’s drunk past - Videos - CBS News

 

[Pogo]

Sheesh -- no wonder we turned out to be a nation of domestic abusers.

 

[idb]

Drunk History - YouTube

 

[shadow355]

I fix a dinner in my residence, watch a good movie in the livingroom and drink a beer.

Camping, good conversation and food cooked on a campfire after the sun sets.......enjoy a beer.

At night in the warmer months - Full moon and the surrounding area is lit up like a bright summers day........Cigar and a beer ; set in a chair....relax and enjoy the moon.

At home, writing my book ( my second one ) ; set at the computer and enjoy a beer.

I do not drink to get to get drunk, but I enjoy a few beers if the setting is right. There is weeks at a time I never take a sip.

I am now saving up for another vehicle. After I get that done, I will be setting money aside for property out of state - near my favorite city.......where I can really enjoy a "Cold One".

Shadow 355

 

[Flopper]

I fix a dinner in my residence, watch a good movie in the livingroom and drink a beer.

Camping, good conversation and food cooked on a campfire after the sun sets.......enjoy a beer.

At night in the warmer months - Full moon and the surrounding area is lit up like a bright summers day........Cigar and a beer ; set in a chair....relax and enjoy the moon.

At home, writing my book ( my second one ) ; set at the computer and enjoy a beer.

I do not drink to get to get drunk, but I enjoy a few beers if the setting is right. There is weeks at a time I never take a sip.

I am now saving up for another vehicle. After I get that done, I will be setting money aside for property out of state - near my favorite city.......where I can really enjoy a "Cold One".

Shadow 355

The colonists, the founders, and early settlers rarely drank just to get drunk. They drank, mostly beer or cider, because water supplies were often questionable. The farmer would take a pale of beer or cider into the fields. When work was done in towns and villages, families, not just the menfolk would gather in taverns to share pints of ale, food, and news of day.

However drunkenness was common during the American Revolution. Our national anthem was drinking song in taverns throughout the colonies. The battle of Lexington was a classic encounter between those who drank too much and those who had to deal with them; that is, the militiamen, who'd been boozing for hours at a tavern on the green, and the British soldiers.

As the nation grew and became more prosperous, Americans began drinking more. Their tastes turned more to harder liquors such as whiskey and rum. By the 1830's, America was becoming a nation of drunks. Children drank at school and were welcomed in taverns. Some form of alcohol was served at most meals. This gave rise to temperance movements of the 1830's and 40's.

The history of drinking and it's place in American history is fascinating.

 

[shadow355]

The history of drinking and it's place in American history is fascinating.

Full moon illuminating the surrounding area around my house like it is daylight. Me in my backyard relaxing -The gorgeous full moon rising at about 20 degrees above the tree line, the neighbors cat resting on my leg...getting his head scratched after he come to my house for Tuna. Me enjoying beer and a cigar......relaxing in the night....especially after a hard and difficult day at work.

Cold months - a good mystery / spy / who dunnit movie...... with dinner I fixed, while setting on the couch. Steak and a salad dinner - Shrimp dinner - Fish.....or finger food from the oven and a good movie, and cold beer from the bottle.

Camping - Campfire, reflection of the flames in the surrounding area while eating a meal with the stars overhead and a partial moon rising in the east ( ?? sometimes southeast ). Steak, chicken, ham, bologna, hamburger, hotdogs.... are just some of the meals we have. Drink a beer, good conversation and country music on the radio. We do not get drunk. Drink a beer, then enjoy tobacco ( for me chewing tobacco ) - snack some more ( Chips, cheese pieces ), then drink a beer. Repeat.

Shadow 355

 

[ABikerSailor]

If you ever get the chance, and you happen to have cable, check out the History Channel series "How Beer Saved the World".

It's quite informative.

 

[Picaro]

American per capita consumption, of not just beer but hard liquor, was over three times that of Europe throughout the 19th century. Domestic violence was rampant, as was all other kinds of violence. The Temperance Movement was a key plank of the Womens' Sufferage Movement; they were tired of of their children and themselves suffering beatings and abuse from drunken husbands. This led to Prohibition eventually being passed and women getting the vote.

Even the weak Prohibition Amendment had a favorable effect, despite all the sniveling to the contrary. It never outlawed drinking or people being able to brew their own booze at home, and of course it did reduce consumption and the rampant domestic violence associated with it; it was an overall positive for most of the country, women and children. Companies like Budweiser stayed in business selling home brewing supplies.

It was repealed because of the Depression and pols who wanted another source of tax revenue. Even then consumption only gradually increased back to the previous levels, and by then it resulted in horrendous death tolls, carnage, and maimings on our streets and highways. We should have passed a much better Amendment with much stronger penalties. Drunk driving penalties were non-existent to slaps on the wrist even for multiple offenses. Compare the carnage on U.S. highways from drunk drivers to our casualties in Viet Nam over the same time period, for instance

 

[longknife]

I fix a dinner in my residence, watch a good movie in the livingroom and drink a beer.

Camping, good conversation and food cooked on a campfire after the sun sets.......enjoy a beer.

At night in the warmer months - Full moon and the surrounding area is lit up like a bright summers day........Cigar and a beer ; set in a chair....relax and enjoy the moon.

At home, writing my book ( my second one ) ; set at the computer and enjoy a beer.

I do not drink to get to get drunk, but I enjoy a few beers if the setting is right. There is weeks at a time I never take a sip.

I am now saving up for another vehicle. After I get that done, I will be setting money aside for property out of state - near my favorite city.......where I can really enjoy a "Cold One".

Shadow 355

The colonists, the founders, and early settlers rarely drank just to get drunk. They drank, mostly beer or cider, because water supplies were often questionable. The farmer would take a pale of beer or cider into the fields. When work was done in towns and villages, families, not just the menfolk would gather in taverns to share pints of ale, food, and news of day.

However drunkenness was common during the American Revolution. Our national anthem was drinking song in taverns throughout the colonies. The battle of Lexington was a classic encounter between those who drank too much and those who had to deal with them; that is, the militiamen, who'd been boozing for hours at a tavern on the green, and the British soldiers.

As the nation grew and became more prosperous, Americans began drinking more. Their tastes turned more to harder liquors such as whiskey and rum. By the 1830's, America was becoming a nation of drunks. Children drank at school and were welcomed in taverns. Some form of alcohol was served at most meals. This gave rise to temperance movements of the 1830's and 40's.

The history of drinking and it's place in American history is fascinating.

Thank you. Tainted water was one of the biggest problems throughout history and water-borne diseases caused untold millions of deaths. More than the black plague.

Examples are sailing ships whose water casks often became fouled. Relying on grog was the only way to avoid dehydration.

Others were cities where fresh water was simply unavailable. Boiling water as part of the distilling process destroyed harmful germs.

Greece and Rome knew the benefits of alcoholic beverages.

In my own areas of research, Mexico and the Californias, all cultures had some form of lightly fermented beverages and that is where tequila, mescal, and others came from. They even made booze out of corn,

 

[mudwhistle]

The CBS Sunday Morning show did a piece on this book that I though was quite interesting. For example:

• The Pilgrims land on Plymouth Because They Were Out of Beer
• The Boston Tea Party Was a Party Because Colonies Were So Drunk they Threw the Tea in the Harbor
• Paul Revere's Famous Ride Began and Ended at a Tavern With a Number of Stops For Drinks Along the Way
• Warren G. Harding, Our Prohibition President, Upon Giving Up his Beloved Cocktail Parties Died From Unkonwn Causes the Following Week

“Drinking in America" author takes sober look at America’s drunk past - Videos - CBS News

I here drinking turns normally happy people into real assholes.

So go fuck yourself.

 

[longknife]

I fix a dinner in my residence, watch a good movie in the livingroom and drink a beer.

Camping, good conversation and food cooked on a campfire after the sun sets.......enjoy a beer.

At night in the warmer months - Full moon and the surrounding area is lit up like a bright summers day........Cigar and a beer ; set in a chair....relax and enjoy the moon.

At home, writing my book ( my second one ) ; set at the computer and enjoy a beer.

I do not drink to get to get drunk, but I enjoy a few beers if the setting is right. There is weeks at a time I never take a sip.

I am now saving up for another vehicle. After I get that done, I will be setting money aside for property out of state - near my favorite city.......where I can really enjoy a "Cold One".

Shadow 355

Unfortunately, the beer you are drinking now is a far cry from what was consumed not that long ago. It is now homogenized, pasteurized, de-caloried, and de-flavored. You should try some good old home brew sometime.

 

[Flopper]

I fix a dinner in my residence, watch a good movie in the livingroom and drink a beer.

Camping, good conversation and food cooked on a campfire after the sun sets.......enjoy a beer.

At night in the warmer months - Full moon and the surrounding area is lit up like a bright summers day........Cigar and a beer ; set in a chair....relax and enjoy the moon.

At home, writing my book ( my second one ) ; set at the computer and enjoy a beer.

I do not drink to get to get drunk, but I enjoy a few beers if the setting is right. There is weeks at a time I never take a sip.

I am now saving up for another vehicle. After I get that done, I will be setting money aside for property out of state - near my favorite city.......where I can really enjoy a "Cold One".

Shadow 355

Unfortunately, the beer you are drinking now is a far cry from what was consumed not that long ago. It is now homogenized, pasteurized, de-caloried, and de-flavored. You should try some good old home brew sometime.

I have. My son in law brews a really nice dark beer, not to hoppy but just right. Ever tasted Mead?

 

[whitehall]

Don't forget the venerable United States Marine Corps got it's start in "Tun's Tavern". Idiotic CBS pop history notwithstanding, back in Pilgrim times, beer wasn't just a beverage that came in a can and a fun thing to pour over your head at frat parties. Beer was a nutritional staple and in some cases it was important for survival. Yeah, the colonists drank alcoholic beverages and so did the Brits and pop historians can spin the "Boston Tea Party" any way they want. It would have been strange if Paul Revere didn't stop at taverns along the way to rest his freaking horse and quench his thirst.

 

[Flopper]

Don't forget the venerable United States Marine Corps got it's start in "Tun's Tavern". Idiotic CBS pop history notwithstanding, back in Pilgrim times, beer wasn't just a beverage that came in a can and a fun thing to pour over your head at frat parties. Beer was a nutritional staple and in some cases it was important for survival. Yeah, the colonists drank alcoholic beverages and so did the Brits and pop historians can spin the "Boston Tea Party" any way they want. It would have been strange if Paul Revere didn't stop at taverns along the way to rest his freaking horse and quench his thirst.

It's amazing how much American history is entwined with consumption of alcohol.

The lack of fermented beverages was a major problem for colonist arriving from Europe.because they were not accustom to drinking water which was considered unsafe. Even when water was not contaminated, it was scorned by the English because it was free. People drank water only if they could not afford to buy ale. "Would you believe it," wrote César de Saussure, a Swiss visitor to England in the 1720s, "though water is to be had in abundance in London, and of fairly good quality, absolutely none is drunk? In this country ... beer ... is what everybody drinks when thirsty."
Drink

 

[Friends]

I here drinking turns normally happy people into real assholes.

So go fuck yourself.

Alcohol mellows me out. I have had problems with alcohol, but I am not a stinking drunk.

 

[Syriusly]

Even the weak Prohibition Amendment had a favorable effect, despite all the sniveling to the contrary. It never outlawed drinking or people being able to brew their own booze at home, and of course it did reduce consumption and the rampant domestic violence associated with it; it was an overall positive for most of the country, women and children..

Well among the consequences of the Prohibition Amendment were

• The movement away from beer and wine to hard liquor- hard liquor became easier to obtain than wine and beer so Americans switched to hard liquor
• There was an increase in total violence- as criminals became more violent defending their black market- and highly lucrative- liquor markets
• The Prohibition directly led the creation of large scale organized crime- and the enriching of criminals.
  
• The Prohibition directly led to the deaths of thousands of Americans by poisoning- both by drinking 'denatured alcohol'- i.e. alcohol poisoned by our government so that anyone who drank it would either die or go be severely injured- or by drinking poisonous bootleg alcohol.
• An excellent book on the consequences of Prohibition- even though it is not the primary focus- is "The Poisoners Handbook".

 

[Syriusly]

Don't forget the venerable United States Marine Corps got it's start in "Tun's Tavern". Idiotic CBS pop history notwithstanding, back in Pilgrim times, beer wasn't just a beverage that came in a can and a fun thing to pour over your head at frat parties. Beer was a nutritional staple and in some cases it was important for survival. Yeah, the colonists drank alcoholic beverages and so did the Brits and pop historians can spin the "Boston Tea Party" any way they want. It would have been strange if Paul Revere didn't stop at taverns along the way to rest his freaking horse and quench his thirst.

Lets not forget that rum was considered part of the pay for British sailors.

 

[ABikerSailor]

Hey, I remember back in '84 when I had the chance to tour a British Navy ship while in the Med, and they actually had beer taps on the mess decks. The dude that showed me his boat said that they were allowed 3 pints a day.

Even out at sea.

 

[Moonglow]

The CBS Sunday Morning show did a piece on this book that I though was quite interesting. For example:

• The Pilgrims land on Plymouth Because They Were Out of Beer
• The Boston Tea Party Was a Party Because Colonies Were So Drunk they Threw the Tea in the Harbor
• Paul Revere's Famous Ride Began and Ended at a Tavern With a Number of Stops For Drinks Along the Way
• Warren G. Harding, Our Prohibition President, Upon Giving Up his Beloved Cocktail Parties Died From Unkonwn Causes the Following Week

“Drinking in America" author takes sober look at America’s drunk past - Videos - CBS News

I here drinking turns normally happy people into real assholes.

So go fuck yourself.

Are you still hear?

 

[Moonglow]

I prefer to smoke plants, not drink them....