Forgotten Tales of Massachusetts

Book excerpt: W hen the first Pilgrims arrived on the shores of Massachusetts, they set foot in a world full of promise and new beginnings. Colonists witnessed the births of new children, governments and traditions, but even the Puritans could not wholly escape the Old Worlds basest human instincts. In Plymouth, John Billington committed the nations first murder, and in Boston, the Mass Bay Madam Alice Thomas opened the first brothel. A Charlestown midwife and healer was hanged for witchcraft. Yet Massachusetts also produced William Phips, Americas first undersea treasure hunter; Peter Salem, the first black war hero; Ann Bradstreet, pioneer poetess; and William Ives, printer of the first board game. In these dramatic and vividly imaginative tales, Peter Stevens narrates fascinating episodes from Massachusetts history, piecing together forgotten yet essential aspects of American identity.