Colonization

On Bradford’s Trail: Monhegan Island

Once Bradford arrived in Plymouth, the furthest he is recorded making was to Monhegan, a little island ten miles off…

2 years ago

On Bradford’s Trail: Cushnoc Trading Post

As I research the life of William Bradford for a new biography, I plan over the next few years to…

2 years ago

What Did the Pilgrims Think About Abortion?

Note: I’ve rewritten this post after coming across more evidence on the topic during my further research for my William…

2 years ago

Trashy Archaeology at a French Fort

During my recent studies on Bradford and the Pilgrims, I was reading about some archeology conducted in Fort Pentagoet, a…

2 years ago

The “Heavenly Harmony” of the Pilgrim Church

The meeting of the local covenant church community played a big role in the life of William Bradford and the…

3 years ago

Analyzing Two “First Encounters” – Champlain vs Standish

The last post introduced us to the accounts of two attacks by the Nauset Indians on European explorers on Cape…

3 years ago

A Tale of Two “First Encounters” – Champlain vs Standish

The Pilgrim’s “First Encounter,” with the Natives, as they themselves called it, is rather famous. I recently came across a…

3 years ago

The Five Trading Posts of the Pilgrims

The fur trade saved the Pilgrims’ Plymouth colony from financial ruin. Setting up a new colony wasn’t cheap, and the…

3 years ago

Mayan Reflections

A few weeks ago, on an anniversary trip to Mexico, I dragged1 my wife around the ruins of several ancient…

3 years ago