The Story of the Thirteen ColoniesGuerber, H. A. (Hélène Adeline)
History
The Story of the Thirteen Colonies
Guerber, H. A. (Hélène Adeline)
United States -- History -- Colonial period, ca. 1600-1775
Although the Plymouth settlers were, as we have seen, usually on
friendly terms with the Indians, there were some worthless settlers
where Weymouth (wā´mŭth) now is, who soon quarreled with them
(1623). Hearing that the Indians had planned to kill all the whites,
Captain Standish and his little force marched over to Weymouth.
Though small, he was very brave. He sent for the Indian chiefs,
and met them in a log hut. When one of them threatened his life,
Standish boldly attacked him. There was a terrible tussle, but the
white man finally killed his huge enemy. This act of daring made
other Indians respect Standish, whom they called the "big little
man."
While Standish was struggling with one Indian, two more were killed
by the other white men in the hut, and a few others were slain
afterwards. When this news reached Mr. Robinson at Leyden, he sadly
cried: "Oh, that they had converted some before they killed any!"
In 1630 the colonists of Massachusetts Bay were reinforced by the
arrival of seven hundred newcomers, "the very flower of the English
Puritans." Led by John Winthrop, a noble and clever man, some of
them came over in a ship which was called the _Lady Arbela_, in
honor of a delicate lady on board. But seventy-six days of sea
journey proved so trying to this frail woman that she died soon
after landing at Salem.
At first the newcomers tried to settle near Charles´town; but they
found the drinking water so bad there that they finally went to
Trimountain, or Tre´mont ("Three Hills"), where Blackstone had built
his house. Not liking to live so near a large colony of Puritans,
Blackstone sold them his house and land, and went to settle
elsewhere.
The land thus purchased was divided among the settlers, who,
for convenience' sake, built their houses along the paths made
by Blackstone's cow. Some people say that this accounts for the
crooked streets in old Boston, for such was the name this settlement
received soon after it was made (1630). Six acres, however, were set
apart as the Common, or pasture ground, for everybody. This part of
Blackstone's farm still bears that name, but it is now in the very
heart of the city of Boston, a beautiful, well-kept park, and no
longer a mere pasture ground.
The Boston colonists had brought tools, cattle, and seed in
abundance; but in spite of all their foresight and supplies, their
first winter proved very hard. It was very cold, and as they had to
go some distance for their fuel, many could not secure enough. We
are told that one man was even caught stealing wood from Winthrop's
pile. Now, the Puritans considered stealing almost as bad as murder,
and had the man been publicly accused, they would perhaps have
condemned him to death. But Governor Winthrop was so good and gentle
that he merely said he would cure the man of the habit of stealing,
and did so by sending the rascal all the fuel he needed until spring.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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