Articles written by Brian Deming

The home of the famous signer of the Declaration of Independence and first governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is gone. But a replica survives.

Dec 15, 2010 - Brian Deming

In some northern parts of early America, It was permissible in some families for unmarried sweethearts to cuddle in bed together while fully clothed.

Dec 8, 2010 - Brian Deming

In the run-up to the Revolution, a meeting in Boston in defiance of the royal governor was a fiasco for patriots, but still a key step toward independence.

Nov 22, 2010 - Brian Deming

Among the Boston newspapers that taunted Tories and fired up the patriots was the Spy, published by a young man who began his apprenticeship at age 7.

Nov 12, 2010 - Brian Deming

John Hancock promised to marry Dorothy Quincy in 1770. Five years later, as war began, he finally set a date. Loss of daughter, son darkened married life.

Nov 3, 2010 - Brian Deming

The great mansion near Old South was a historic landmark and architectural gem of colonial New England. Gone since 1922, but famous weather vane survives.

Oct 22, 2010 - Brian Deming

Many people know that the famous silversmith made the etching of the bloody 1770 event. How many know Revere copied it from the work of another man?

Oct 13, 2010 - Brian Deming

Celebrity came late in life for a poor shoemaker with a big family, an odd name, and a place in the tumultuous history of Boston before War of Independence.

Oct 5, 2010 - Brian Deming

Before Benedict Arnold, there was Benjamin Church, a trusted, vigorous patriot leader who apparently betrayed the American cause early in the Revolution.

Sep 17, 2010 - Brian Deming

On the farm in Quincy, the wife of the second president oversaw farmhands, scheduled plowing, managed manuring, and helped a black boy get an education.

Sep 10, 2010 - Brian Deming

A letter to Benjamin Franklin shows how a bride-to-be said thanks in colonial America. Who today could match Jenny Mecom's style and effusiveness?

Aug 31, 2010 - Brian Deming

Talk about a proposed mosque near Ground Zero in New York City has sparked curiosity about Islam in America. Here are some basic facts.

Aug 26, 2010 - Brian Deming

The letters of an obscure New England woman, who happened to have a famous brother, offers a glimpse at a life of sorrow and bad luck in colonial America.

Aug 22, 2010 - Brian Deming

The group included three doctors, a madman, a traitor, and the grandfather of Oliver Wendell Holmes. Sam Adams was on it, but was not its official leader.

Aug 13, 2010 - Brian Deming

Regulation of ships entering American ports was a big issue in the years before the American Revolution. Here's how the system worked and failed in Boston.

Aug 9, 2010 - Brian Deming

In 1776, while John's away, Abigail troops to Boston with kids and cow; undergoes variolation; mourns mare; longs for tea; tends delirious six-year-old.

Jul 26, 2010 - Brian Deming

The story of tea and its connection with Revolutionary Boston is a well-known tale. This is just a footnote about two ladies and "a little India herb."

Jul 22, 2010 - Brian Deming

When a certain 16-year-old girl in early Massachusetts inherited a small fortune, the search for a husband began, and so hangs a tale.

Jul 17, 2010 - Brian Deming

For anyone looking for an easy day trip from Ontario's big city, the grand mansion of R.S. McLaughlin is a pleasant destination. Going by rail is easy.

Jul 7, 2010 - Brian Deming

Continental Congress chops one fourth out of original, recasts phrases for greater economy, adds references to God. Franklin consoles author with anecdote.

Jun 29, 2010 - Brian Deming

The National Archives has gently cared for America's most sacred document since 1952. For all the parchment's travels and travails, it deserved a good home.

Jun 21, 2010 - Brian Deming

Because of the Tea Party, tea is the drink most associated with the War of Independence. Rum, though, deserves equal billing.

Jun 17, 2010 - Brian Deming

According to the Gutmacher Institute, 1.5% of abortions in the US are performed 21 or more weeks after the woman's last menstrual period.

Jun 14, 2010 - Brian Deming

Before Lexington, the alarm got out, but the signals from Old North had nothing to do with it, and the famous gallop probably did not affect events.

Jun 9, 2010 - Brian Deming

At the Continental Congress, John Adams broke a stalemate by nominating the Virginian. Some delegates preferred other candidates, but eventually went along.

Jun 7, 2010 - Brian Deming

America's War with Britain has started. Talk of Independence is in the air. What better time for one Founding Father to teach another about horsemanship.

May 31, 2010 - Brian Deming

Five American literary masters-Melville, Emerson, Thoreau, Longfellow, and Hawthorne-each had a grandfather involved in the War of Independence.

May 21, 2010 - Brian Deming

In the months before the start of the American Revolution, a young Massachusetts lawyer articulates the Tory position in the pages of a Boston newspaper.

May 13, 2010 - Brian Deming

Yes. Removal of the gall bladder, a cholecystectomy, is a common treatment for gallstones. Patients who undergo such surgery can resume a normal life.

May 10, 2010 - Brian Deming

People familiar with Barack Obama's biography know he had little contact with his father. The story is similar for seven other chief executives.

May 2, 2010 - Brian Deming

At the First Continental Congress in 1774, a Pennsylvanian presented intriguing proposal to address grievances and keep America within the British Empire.

Apr 27, 2010 - Brian Deming

Americans self-employed in Canada, normally required to pay into both the US and Canadian pension systems, can become exempt from the US tax obligation.

Apr 19, 2010 - Brian Deming

The first day of the American Revolutionary War was day of glory and of shame for American militiamen. An atrocity marred a stunning military success.

Apr 13, 2010 - Brian Deming

Minutemen are so closely linked with the start of the American Revolution that it's easy to assume they were on Lexington Common when the first shots were fired. Not so.

Apr 6, 2010 - Brian Deming

Here is a selection of alternatives to the usual list of major attractions-some jazz, comedy, a few architectural gems, a bit of history, a walk in the park, and more.

Apr 6, 2010 - Brian Deming

Most history books say the American Revolution began in Massachusetts. But New Hampshire also has a claim. In both cases, Revere had a role in alerting the patriots.

Apr 1, 2010 - Brian Deming

Just before the outbreak of the War of Independence, British forces in Boston dispatched troops to Salem to seize weapons. They left with nothing but disgrace.

Mar 28, 2010 - Brian Deming

In the United States, about 84% of income taxes owed are paid in a timely way. That means, however, that tax evasion cheats the IRS of over $300 billion each year.

Mar 21, 2010 - Brian Deming

In the tense months before the start of the American Revolution, British pre-dawn mission to seize gunpowder went flawlessly, but revealed powerful patriotic passions.

Mar 18, 2010 - Brian Deming

The mob violence supposedly was entirely connected to the hated stamp tax. But was there more to it than that? Was the riot a cover for the looting of important papers?

Mar 17, 2010 - Brian Deming

Nobody likes to pay income taxes. But what makes tax time especially aggravating to many is the time it takes just to keep records, read instructions, and fill in forms.

Mar 11, 2010 - Brian Deming

In the 1760s and 70s, Americans poured out their grievances with Britain in pamphlets, booklets that could be produced cheaply and quickly.

Mar 9, 2010 - Brian Deming

A study of newspaper advertisements reveals a lively market. Many merchants and craftsmen bought and sold slaves. At one time, one in five Boston families had slaves.

Mar 5, 2010 - Brian Deming

Unlike men, women in colonial America, rarely wore wigs. But they occasionally liked hairpieces and used wool and other padding to augment hair and add elevation.

Mar 3, 2010 - Brian Deming

Today, histories of the Revolution make much of the Tea Party. But in the first years of independence, Americans didn't give it much attention and didn't call it a party.

Feb 26, 2010 - Brian Deming

Toronto's transit system, the TTC, includes subway trains, buses, streetcars. For many visitors, a $10 Day Pass will save money and hassles.

Feb 25, 2010 - Brian Deming

Franklin thought that by doing a dishonorable act, he might yet repair the fraying connections between Britain and her colonies. He only made matters worse.

Feb 23, 2010 - Brian Deming

The streetcar is a fun and economical way to visit neighborhoods and sites. From Chinatown to Little Italy, from the Beaches to Fort York, streetcars will get you there.

Feb 22, 2010 - Brian Deming

Measure gutted democracy in Massachusetts. That, more than the closing of the port of Boston, stirred people in the countryside to rebel against British authority.

Feb 19, 2010 - Brian Deming

The second Tea Party added to British anger and made it more difficult for America's friends in Britain to soften measures related to Massachusetts.

Feb 16, 2010 - Brian Deming