Mesmer and Mesmerism Franz Anton Mesmer (May 23, 1734 – March 5, 1815) trained as a physician in Vienna. He was strongly influenced by the experiments of Maximillian Hell (the astronomer and Jesuit priest) on the effects of magnets on the human body. Mesmer theorized that there exists a force (or fluid – as it…
Ben was born on January 17th, 1706 – or was he? According to most history books, Benjamin Franklin was born on January 17th, 1706 in Boston. However, you will sometimes see this birthdate with the addendum of N.S. or New Style. What does that mean? Well, there was a change from the (old) Julian calendar…
It’s natural to think of “olden times” as being less colorful and alive than our current age. When we think of people from the 1700’s (or any prior era for that matter), they seem to us to live in monotone black and white, without the complexity or vibrancy of present day figures. Compounding that bias…
To cover his baldplate and keep his head warm, Ben brought a fur cap with him to France.
Walter Isaacson, in his biography of Franklin, states that the cap was made of Marten fur and that Ben obtained the cap when he traveled to Canada in 1776 seeking support for American independence. He left Canada without any assurance of assistance…