Tag: slavery

New England History for Truth-Seeking Tourists

A statue of the sachem Iyanough, for whom Hyannis, Mass. is named. Iyanough helped arrange the return of 16-year-old John Billington, who got lost in 1621 and was taken custody by indigenous people. Iyanough died in 1621 while still in his 20s. Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

Of Pilgrims, Progress, Power I begin reading Nathaniel Philbrick’s Mayflower with the hope that the ending is going to be a slightly different one. I resist picking up this work for a long time because I know it isn’t going…

Not Exactly Old-World Charm

Information about slavery presented at the Cabildo in New Orleans Photo credit: M. Ciavardini

A Visit to the Deep South’s Past An exhibit at the Cabildo in New Orleans Photo credit: M. Ciavardini History is told from the perspective of the victor goes the refrain, so I am pleased to see that unpleasant bits…

Boscobel for the Holidays

Planning to stay for a few days at the Hudson House Inn in Cold Spring, the Brawny Sherpa and I stop on a snowy Wednesday at Boscobel, an historic house in nearby Garrison. It’s the perfect time for a visit…

The First Thanksgiving Was in Florida

Sitting on the patio of the golf clubhouse at the Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel in Orlando and watching the pastel-clad golfers, their carts, and the sand traps, Florida’s dark history seems remote, a dream. Brutal Spanish explorers, Protestants killing Catholics,…

Are Historical Sites Honest about Slavery?

The global tumult of the last week—the killing of the U.S. ambassador to Libya and global unrest stemming, allegedly, from disgust with a video about Muslims made by a film maker in the United States—makes the celebration of the U.S.…