Historic Interpretations, Inc.

06/11/2026

Today in History - June 6th
1509 – Henry VIII of England marries his first wife, Catherine of Aragon. The marriage would last for 24 years. They had 6 children, only one of whom, Mary, would live more than a few hours.
Henry had been infatuated with Anne Boleyn since 1926, but it didn't marry her (in secret) for 6 more years. A year later, in 1933, Catherine's marriage to Henry was declared invalid. by Henry's new Anglican church. Catherine lived 3 more years dying in 1936, most likely from cancer.

06/08/2026

We have some wonderful events coming up. We'd love to see you there, or even join us as volunteers in creating the atmosphere.

For America's 250th:
Brier Creek, July 3rd for a senior center (55+) This is indoors!
Roxboro, September 12th
UNC Chapel Hill, October 19th

05/21/2026

Today in History - May 21st
1554 – Queen Mary I grants a royal charter to Derby School, as a grammar school for boys in Derby, England.

Derby School was a school in Derby in the English Midlands from 1160 to 1989. It had an almost continuous history of education of over eight-hundred years. For most of that time it was a grammar school for boys. The school became co-educational and comprehensive in 1972 and was closed in 1989.

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05/21/2026

New event! Early America Living History Fair

HI is looking for volunteers to join our experts at a new event for America's 250th anniversary. We'll be portraying colonial life in Roxboro NC and need costumed performers to fill out our group. We can help you with clothing and training on how to play games in our tavern tent, talk about the history of the area from an 18th century point of view, or help with our foodways demonstrations as well as many other facets of historical life.

Contact us through a direct message on Facebook, or email us at [email protected]

04/17/2026

https://theconversation.com/as-renaissance-fairs-become-big-business-can-they-retain-their-counterculture-roots-273757

To what extent has the line between playful community space and commercial spectacle been blurred?

04/10/2026

Me, heading to Hillsborough tomorrow:

03/24/2026

Today in History - March 24th:
1603 – James VI of Scotland is proclaimed King James I of England and Ireland, upon the death of Elizabeth I earlier in the day.

James was the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, and a great-great-grandson of Henry VII, King of England and Lord of Ireland, and thus a potential successor to all three thrones. He acceded to the Scottish throne at the age of thirteen months, after his mother was forced to abdicate.

At 57 years and 246 days, James's reign in Scotland was the longest of any Scottish monarch. He achieved most of his aims in Scotland but faced great difficulties in England, including the Gunpowder Plot in 1605 and conflicts with the English Parliament.

Under James, the "Golden Age" of Elizabethan literature and drama continued, with writers such as William Shakespeare, John Donne, Ben Jonson, and Francis Bacon contributing to a flourishing literary culture.

1765 – Great Britain passes the Quartering Act, which requires the Thirteen Colonies to house British troops.

This action was the inspiration for the 3rd amendment of the Constitution. "No soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law."

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02/08/2026

Reenactment season is just around the corner! Come see Historic Interpretations, try interactive demos, and talk history!
The Viking Experience: March 21-22, 28-29
St. Paddy's on the Green: March 14th
Revolutionary War Day: April 11th

If you'd like to get involved, email us at [email protected]

01/08/2026

08/30/2025

Today in History: August 8th
1535 – With the papal bull Eius qui immobilis, Pope Paul III excommunicates King Henry VIII of England from the Catholic Church for approving the Acts of Supremacy, although the bull is likely never published.

The Acts of Supremacy are two acts passed by the Parliament of England in the 16th century that established the English monarchs as the head of the Church of England; two similar laws were passed by the Parliament of Ireland establishing the English monarchs as the head of the Church of Ireland. The 1534 act declared King Henry VIII and his successors as the Supreme Head of the Church, replacing the Pope. This first act was repealed during the reign of the Catholic Queen Mary I. The 1558 act declared Queen Elizabeth I and her successors the Supreme Governor of the Church, a title that the British monarch still holds.

Royal supremacy is specifically used to describe the legal sovereignty of the king (i.e., civil law) over the law of the Church in England.

The act declared that the king was "the only supreme head on Earth of the Church of England" and that the Crown shall enjoy "all honours, dignities, preeminences, jurisdictions, privileges, authorities, immunities, profits, and commodities to the said dignity." The wording of the act made clear that Parliament was not granting the king the title (thereby suggesting that they had the right to withdraw it later); rather, it was acknowledging an established fact. In the Act of Supremacy, Henry VIII withdrew support for the authority of the Pope and the Catholic Church and asserted the independence of the Ecclesia Anglicana. He appointed himself and his successors as the supreme rulers of the English church. Earlier, Henry VIII had been declared "Defender of the Faith" (Fidei defensor) in 1521 by Pope Leo X for his pamphlet accusing Martin Luther of heresy. Parliament later conferred this title upon the king in 1544.

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