The late nineteenth century was the best time in American history.

There was no income tax; there were no gun laws. The frontier was disappearing, but it was still there. If a man had nothing but a horse, saddle, and gun he could build an empire. Government in this country was small; the only blemish albeit a terrible one was the Northern invasion and conquest of the CSA. There was no welfare, mandatory schooling, or laws against child labor; families decided these things. But there were colleges and universities. People loved learning and knowledge. Except for the most depraved, feminine virtue was praised. A man who outraged a woman more often than not paid a terrible price.

The Industrial Revolution was in full flower. People with an idea and a tongue silver enough to raise capital could realize the fruits of their genius. The British government picked an American firm, Pratt and Whitney to retool Woolrich Arsenal. American farmers had the steel plow and the reaper. Steam tractors were on the horizon. Steam railroads crossed the continent carrying passengers and freight; refrigerator cars carrying ice in the heat and charcoal stoves in the cold brought California oranges to New York bankers and fresh oysters from New York harbor to Colorado miners.

Prospects for the future had never been brighter; people knew that they were living in a very special time.

We can't yet bring back the customs and mores of those days of splendor for society as a whole, but we can to some extent in our private lives. We can if we wish build our private worlds which can offer the most independence possible in today's America.

We can begin by adopting as much of that earlier technology as possible. For now, we'll need to deal with rules and regulations we despise, but we can put them in the backs of our minds and live as best we can like our forefathers. I'm using a water windmill to pump my water into a cistern. I'm now planning to build another cistern up the hill so that I can have good water pressure without an electric pump to bring water from the cistern into the house. Later projects will include a wood or coal-fired boiler for hot water. I do know how to use a wood cook stove. I've had mine for almost fifty years; my mother on a Thanksgiving visit roasted a turkey and prepared the rest of the meal. She'd learned how to use a cook stove as a girl and really had fun doing it.

I just did something else, more psychological perhaps, but I believe very worthwhile. I moved my computers, fax, credit card terminal, and all but three electric lamps into one room. The three I left out date from 1940 or earlier. I do need phone out in the rest of the house so I don't miss business calls, but even in two days I find I'm using the computer only as an adjunct to my library. My lighting is now courtesy of the Aladdin Kerosene Lamp Co. I realize, however, that I need some smaller lamps as well. I believe Dietz lanterns may do the trick.

I've always worn a mechanical watch, but a modern one. However, for the last few days I've been carrying a pocket watch in a hunter case dating from about 1920.. I do need a repeater (a watch that gives the time with chimes as well as a dial) so that I can get the time in the dark. Radium dials are rather modern.

I found a photograph of President Cleveland and plan to place it in my office (not the computer room).

Now I'll mention the practical: I'll be able to go not just off grid but to a technology from a time when there was no grid. As I become physically less dependent on the modern world I'll become less socially dependent. When I finish typing this post I'll turn off the computer and leave the modern technology room. I'll be back, but in the meantime it will be 1880. If I look out a window I won't see a horseless carriage.

I'm not planning to give up modern medecine, arms, or anything else that can preserve life, e.g., modern fire extinguishers. But the fire and CO alarms will be in very inconspicuous places.

The survivalist wishes to be as free as possible. Self-sufficiency, largely incompatible with the modern age, is one of the best source of freedom. There were fifty million people in this country in 1880. Let's hope that events will restore that number today. We'll live far better lives.