March 2025

March has come and is nearly gone. And in that time, we accomplished so many things. After a fun Saint Patrick's Day celebration, the Kalamazoo Living History Show, recording videos, three separate photoshoots, and a full web rollout for Sign of the Red Lion, we are tired puppies. Speaking of which, on a personal note, the Samson family welcomed our own puppy, Georgia Bess, to the family this month. Dutifully named by the youngest Samson as an homage to her hero George Washington and the Brown Bess musket.

It is hard to believe that this time last year we were renovating our physical store front, and since then we have been able to see many of you as you journey to our hometown. Now as we work on improving our digital storefront to serve those of you who cannot make it here, to Indiana, it feels like coming full circle.

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Video Shoots

As we have grown and directed the mission of Samson Historical, we have always made a point of being accessible to those interested in starting living history, and doing it right. A hurdle to that, we have come to find, is understanding how to measure for 18^th century clothing. To remedy that situation, we have begun filming. Several different videos with our seamstresses showing you how to take measurements for properly fit Samson Historical clothing. These videos will begin rolling out right away, beginning with how to measure for stays since that is important to so many of our women customers. If you have specific videos that you feel would be helpful to your historical journey, please be sure to let us know and we can put them on the board.

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Kalamazoo Recap

The Kalamazoo Living History show is held every year in Kalamazoo, Michigan during March. This year was a transitional year with the previous owners, Leslie and Rick Conwell passing the torch to Paisley and Ethan Yazel. From our view, the transition appeared seamless and we had a fantastic event. We like to joke (being from Indiana, and all) that the show is our chance to be an Indy500 pit crew. The set up and tear down of the booth has to be faster than at any other event, and this year we set a personal best for time. Also join us in sending the Yazels our congratulations, not only did they put on a successful event, that same week they welcomed a new baby girl to their family.

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Upcoming Fort Fred Planning

A lot of planning goes into a big trip like the Fort Frederick Market Faire in Big Pool Maryland. The Samson Historical and the Sign of the Red Lion tents will both be open and ready for your perusal. One of the logistical challenges with the trip is that it does not end with Fort Fred. Our family, and part of our team will continue to George Washington’s Mount Vernon, and then Martin’s Station, making it a three-event trip. We hope to see as many of you as possible during our time out east.

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Sign of the Red Lion Update

If you are on our email list, follow our social media, or simply read these newsletters, you are already in the know about the new fabric arm of the business, names Sign of the Red Lion. If you were to peruse our website right now you would find a new tab with extensive fabric and notions options. About a week ago we launched over 150 fabrics to be sold by the yard, as well as trims, tapes, threads, glass head pins, and more. We have every intention of becoming your one stop shop for historic sewing, so keep a lookout for new and rotating items!

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The Stamp Act of 1765

In the wake of the costly Seven Years’ War, the British government found itself burdened with substantial debt and the financial demands of maintaining troops in North America. To address this, Prime Minister George Grenville proposed a direct tax on the American colonies. Parliament had already passed the Sugar Act in 1764, but its revenue fell short. A new measure was needed, and Grenville believed a stamp tax—long used in Britain—would be appropriate for the colonies.

The idea was introduced with a one-year delay to give the colonies time to suggest alternatives. However, colonial assemblies refused to cooperate, maintaining that only their own legislatures had the right to tax them. With no proposals from the colonies, Grenville moved forward.

In February 1765, the Stamp Act bill was introduced in the House of Commons. It faced little resistance and was passed by a wide margin. The House of Lords followed suit, and on March 22, 1765, King George III gave royal assent, officially enacting the law. Known formally as the Duties in American Colonies Act 1765, the Stamp Act required that a wide variety of printed materials—legal documents, newspapers, pamphlets, licenses, even playing cards—bear an official stamp to show the tax had been paid. The law was set to take effect on November 1, 1765.

The Stamp Act was significant because it was the first time Parliament imposed a direct internal tax on the American colonies, bypassing their own legislative bodies. Colonists viewed this as a violation of their rights as Englishmen. The principle of “no taxation without representation” quickly became a rallying cry.

While the law wouldn’t take effect until November, the news of its passage sparked immediate backlash. Protests began in the spring and intensified over the following months. Pamphlets, resolutions, and newspapers condemned the Act, while merchants organized boycotts of British goods. Groups like the Sons of Liberty emerged to pressure stamp distributors into resigning, often through public demonstrations and intimidation.

Though Parliament intended the Stamp Act to raise funds, it instead united the colonies in defiance. The events of March 1765, particularly the Act’s passage, ignited political resistance that would build into a broader movement for American independence. The Stamp Act was repealed less than a year later, but the unrest it provoked left a lasting mark on colonial-British relations.

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From the Vernacular

Some words have fallen out of fashion, but good conversation never does. This word, found in the Samuel Johnson dictionary of 1792 can also be found used in a letter from Thomas Jefferson to Silas Deane on August 13, 1777. Clearly Jefferson though highly of his business associate, putting him in conversational league with Mr. Franklin.

"...I feel within myself the same kind of desire of an hour’s conversation with yourself or Dr. Franklyn which I have often had for a confabulation with those who have passed the irremeable bourne..."

Confabulation. J. [confabulatio, Lat.]

Easy conversation

Confa'bulatory. a. [from confabulate.] 

Belonging to talk.