Category: The Atlantic World
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Wooden Walls and Waterborne Wealth
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Old North Church & Historic Site Receives Mars Grant
Pictured above: Old North Foundation staff Catherine Matthews, Linda Greene, Steve Ayres, and Pam Bennett The Old North Church & Historic Site is proud to announce it has received a $13,000 grant as one of the recipients of the Mars Wrigley Confectionery US, LLC Forrest E. Mars, Jr. Chocolate History Research Grant. Winners were announced…
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Philip Ashton and the Dismal Face of Castaway Survival
Vessels sailing back to Boston harbor from faraway destinations would often sell their cargo at public auctions in 1722, but the return of the Rebecca in June of that year was particularly strange and alarming. The goods aboard the Rebecca were auctioned off under court order, and the return of the ninety ton brigantine brought grim news. The Rebecca had been…
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Examining the History of Drinking Culture on Ships Through Colonial-Era Grog and Madeira
Introduction There is a long tradition of drinking on ships. Drinking alcohol on board became commonplace for a variety of reasons: it was more palatable than algae-filled water or sour beer, it served as a form of entertainment, it was a welcome distraction from plain and heavily salted meal rations, and certain drinks even helped…
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The English Roots of Academic Boston
Boston is a city well known for its institutions of higher education. Harvard is synonymous with academic excellence, and the prestigious university’s status as the oldest in the United States is well known, contributing to Boston’s longstanding reputation as a bastion of academia. However, the roots of Boston as an intellectual hub go back much…
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Why Was Boston the Athens of America?
Today’s post is the first in a series of editorial “think pieces” touching upon some of the themes that will be explored in further detail over the coming months. When James Franklin feared that his recalcitrant apprentice would runoff, he warned every other printer in town not to hire him. Benjamin Franklin, age 16, had…
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The People in the Pews: Owen Richards
In the spring of 1768, John Hancock’s vessel, the Lydia, pulled into Boston Harbor after a transatlantic voyage. Suspected of smuggling tea and other cargo, the vessel became a target for two customs officials, Owen Richards and Robert Jackson. When the captain of the vessel informed John Hancock of their arrival, he instructed the captain to…
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The People in the Pews: Capt. Arthur Savage
In 1716, Arthur Savage displayed the first exotic animal to set foot in the American colonies. He exhibited a male lion at his Brattle Street home where a hand-painted sign declared, “The Lion King of beasts is to be seen here.” Such a royal and commanding African animal surely would have attracted throngs of colonists…
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The Real Story Behind Thomas Gruchy and His Angels – Part 4
The final article in a four-part series detailing the fascinating story behind the Belgian angels on display inside Old North Church. Read Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 After the successful endeavor of Queen of Hungary, what began to plague Gruchy were unsettled accounts surrounding the privateer. Even the fellow vestrymen of Christ Church filed suits in court against…
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The Real Story Behind Thomas Gruchy and His Angels – Part 3
The third article in a four-part series detailing the fascinating story behind the Belgian angels on display inside Old North Church. Read Part 1 and Part 2 Christ Church (Old North’s official name) was the largest and grandest house of worship. It was funded mostly by the wealthier Anglicans who were required to purchase their membership into the congregation.…