Patriot

Ann, a retired elementary school teacher, is our instructor in a class about the American Revolution. Today was the first of six sessions about that historical era. She dressed the part with her Tricorn Hat and she baked gingerbread cakes using a recipe from Martha Washington. Ann also served tea to our class, so we could enjoy an historic tea party.

Two interesting stories emerged in this session, the background on the song Yankee Doodle and the taxing of playing cards.

Yankee Doodle was originally a British song mocking the Colonists. A Yankee was a Dutchman and a Doodle was an unreliable dolt. The Colonists turned the meaning around to make the song a Battle Cry.

Among many onerous taxes like the Stamp Act, the Sugar Act, and the Tea Act, a tax was also imposed on playing cards. However, for some nutty reason, only the Ace of Spades was taxed. Colonists would tnen purchase 51 card decks so they were derided by the British as stupid and crazy, hence the term "Not Playing with a Full Deck".

The next five sessions are bound to be interesting.

Actually, the background reason for the taxes is that England had to pay off War Debt from the French and Indian War, so they exploited and taxed the Colonies. The Colonists, who considered themselves as Englishmen, were angry because all other Englishmen did not have to pay those taxes. Hence one of the causes of the Revolutionary War.