Colonial America

Plymouth Colony

Journey to the New World Among the group traveling on the Mayflower in 1620 were close to 40 members of a radical Puritan faction known as the English Separatist Church. Feeling that the Church of England had not sufficiently completed the necessary work of the Protestant Reformation, the group had chosen to break with the […]

Salem Witch Trials

Context & Origins of the Salem Witch Trials Belief in the supernatural–and specifically in the devil’s practice of giving certain humans (witches) the power to harm others in return for their loyalty–had emerged in Europe as early as the 14th century, and was widespread in colonial New England. In addition, the harsh realities of life […]

The Pilgrims

The Mayflower Voyage The group that set out from Plymouth, in southwestern England, in September 1620 included 35 members of a radical Puritan faction known as the English Separatist Church. In 1607, after illegally breaking from the Church of England, the Separatists settled in the Netherlands, first in Amsterdam and later in the town of […]

Why the Wampanoag Signed a Peace Treaty with the Mayflower Pilgrims

The treaty that made the first Thanksgiving possible has a dark backstory.

The Surprising Religious Diversity of America’s 13 Colonies

It wasn’t just Protestants seeking a place to freely practice their faiths.

How ‘Poor Laws’ Tried to Tackle Poverty in Colonial America

Before Social Security, American colonists initiated local poverty relief taxes, and differentiations were made between “worthy” and “unworthy” poor.

The 13 Colonies

The U.S. is 50 states strong today, but it began as 13 small colonies. Can you name them?

This Day In History: 03/22/1765 – Stamp Act Forced on Colonies