Podcast – The Rescue of Alexander Selkirk – Progenitor of Character Robinson Crusoe

British governor Woodes Rogers, during his mission to destroy the Pirate Republic, accidentally found Alexander Selkirk, who had been stranded on an island for over four years. Author Daniel Defoe used the experience of Selkirk to write his classic book, Robinson Crusoe. Continue reading Podcast – The Rescue of Alexander Selkirk – Progenitor of Character Robinson Crusoe

Sample Chapter – Gardener’s Guide to Fruit and Vegetable Preservation

People have stored food underground since ancient times. Many times, this practice involved simply placing the food in an urn or barrel and burying it or digging trenches and mounding the earth over the food. The first walk in root cellars didn’t appear in England until the 17th Century. The North American English colonists took the concept along with them and used root cellars extensively to store food. Continue reading Sample Chapter – Gardener’s Guide to Fruit and Vegetable Preservation

Podcast – The First Woman Hanged In Georgia

Colonial justice was harsh and quick. Just over one year after Oglethorpe founded Savannah in 1733 indentured servants Alice Riley and her boyfriend, Richard White allegedly murdered their master William Wise, becoming the first murderers in the fledgling settlement. The first hanging came just weeks after the murder. Continue reading Podcast – The First Woman Hanged In Georgia

Podcast – The Pilgrims – Part 3

Pilgrim women gave birth to two children on board the Mayflower. The first, Oceanus Hopkins, was born during the voyage. His parents, Stephen Hopkins and his wife, Elizabeth, named him Oceanus because he was born on the ocean. Peregrine’s parents, William White and wife Susanna named him Peregrine because he came into the world during the peregrination, or journey. The word “peregrinus” means “pilgrim” in Latin. Naming children for important events was common in the Seventeenth Century. Continue reading Podcast – The Pilgrims – Part 3

Podcast – Eli Stout Print Shop

Located near the Red House, the last building on the tour is the Eli Stout Print Shop. Mr. Stout served as the printer for the Indiana Territory. He received $500 per year to print the laws passed by the Territorial Assembly. The building originally stood on Second Street before the State moved it to this location. The shop has a printing press similar to the one Stout used. A fire in the print shop destroyed his press. The shop also has a replica newspaper of one he printed, type cases and other tools used by printers of that era. Continue reading Podcast – Eli Stout Print Shop

Vincennes State Historic Sites

The buildings in the State Historic Site include a log barn that serves as a visitor center, a schoolhouse, the old Territorial Capitol and the Eli Stout Print Shop. The State of Indiana has moved all the buildings here from other locations and all are Indiana State Historic Sites. The tour costs a nominal fee and includes all four buildings. It will take about half an hour and is well worth the investment Continue reading Vincennes State Historic Sites

The Pilgrims – Part 2

The Pilgrims arrived in Southampton on the Speedwell from their refuge in Leiden, Holland. In Southampton, they were to rendezvous with the Mayflower and some other settlers. The Pilgrims planned to sail to the New World on the two ships. These two ships departed Southampton, England around August 5. The Speedwell created the first of what were many problems by springing a leak. The ships put in at Dartmouth to repair the ship. Continue reading The Pilgrims – Part 2

Podcast – The Pilgrims – Part 1

The first charter granted to the Pilgrims was the First Pierce Patent on February 02, 1620. This patent granted by the Virginia Company of London to John Pierce never took effect. The Pilgrims sailed in September 1620 and reached the New World by early November. However bad weather and bad luck forced them to land in an area outside the land granted to them by the charter. Continue reading Podcast – The Pilgrims – Part 1

Podcast – First Blacks Land at Jamestown Virginia

First Blacks Land at Jamestown Virginia
Sometime in late August, 1619 a ship docked at Jamestown bearing a cargo of blacks. The probable origin of these people was Angola, Africa. Thus, the first blacks had arrived in the New World. The status of these people is unknown. The institution of slavery did not exist yet. Many historians feel that these blacks served as indentured servants for a period. There are records that blacks received awards of land in later years, lending credence to that theory. Continue reading Podcast – First Blacks Land at Jamestown Virginia

The Explorations of Henry Hudson – Part 2

Henry Hudson, on his fourth and final voyage, sailed his ship Discovery through the turbulent waters of the Labrador Sea and Davis Strait. On August 2, 1610, Hudson’s ship entered the bay that would bear his name, Hudson’s Bay. After three month’s at sea, Hudson was confident he had found the elusive Northwest Passage. Hudson and his crew would spend the next two months sailing around the Bay, looking for a route through, until ice closed in on the ship in late October. Continue reading The Explorations of Henry Hudson – Part 2