TIME NOTEBOOK
The American Vision, The American Journey, The American Republic
Colonizing America: 1600-1700


Verbatim

"Brothers, we must be one as the English are, or we shall all be destroyed. ...Since these Englishmen have seized our country, they have cut down the grass with scythes and the trees with axes. Their cows and horses eat up the grass, and the hogs spoil our clam beds...and finally we shall starve to death."
Miantonomi, member of the Narragansett nation.

"I ate my homework"

Turn dinner into a history lesson. Where did your favorite foods originate? Who's to blame for broccoli? Your evening meal tells the story of the European colonization of America.

Old World to New World:
horses, cattle, pigs, sheep, chickens, honey bees, wheat, Asian rice, Okra peaches, pears watermelon, bananas, olives, chickpeas

New World to Old World:
corn, potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, chocolate, vanilla, tobacco, beans, pumpkin, peanuts, cashews, blueberries, wild rice, squashes, sweet potatoes, quinine

Witch Switch

1692 marked the year that the witches were cleared out of Salem, Massachusetts. After 100 people were accused of devil worship, fifty "confessed", twenty-nine were found guilty and nineteen were hanged. Too bad many in Salem now think that maybe they made a mistake! Here are a few of the beliefs that led to the Salem witch frenzy:

  1. If cream doesn't turn to butter, a witch must be in the churn. To get it out, heat a horseshoe until it's red hot and toss it in the churn.
  2. A horseshoe over your door will keep witches out.
  3. In order to discover if someone is a witch, tie his hands and feet. Now toss him in water. If he sinks, he's an innocent. If he floats, he's a witch.