I recently finished the newest book by Tony Horwitz entitled A Voyage Long and Strange: Rediscovering the New World. Horwitz has unexpectedly become one of my favorite authors having developed a style of writing that is part history, part travelogue. Typically, he’ll explore a historical topic by going to the place where some historical event happened, telling you about his encounters with some of the locals and telling you about the historical event. He’s done that to one extent or another with Captain Cook, the Australian outback, and the Confederates.
In this book, he takes a closer look at the events in North America before the Pilgrims set up shop. He describes his inspiration for the book as being at Plymouth Rock when he overheard that tourists would ask questions like, “Did Columbus drop off the Pilgrims in the Mayflower?” he laughed, but then realized that his own knowledge of pre-Pilgrim America wasn’t all that extensive. Columbus – Pilgrims – Squanto – Thanksgiving – something was going on in Jamestown. The book takes a look at Leif Erickson and the Vikings, Columbus, Coronado, DeSoto, some French colonists, Jamestown, and wraps up with the Pilgrims, including some lesser known facts — such as that Squanto was originally captured as a slave and dragged to England. He made his way back. Meanwhile, the area where he used to live was decimated by disease. When the Pilgrims got to Plymouth Rock, they had a settlement already cleared by natives who had died off and the assistance of a native who already knew English.
All in all, a good book. Horwitz plus early American history is a decent combination. However, the book doesn’t display as much of Horwitz’s humor and wit as many of his other books. That might have something to do with the subject matter. A lot of that early history is fairly grim — the Spaniards were particularly brutal when they hit the shores.
I’ll have to check out this author; sounds like someone I’d like.
My recollection of Plymouth Rock is two-fold: 1. I thought it was funny that they built a “mausoleum” over it. and 2. Boy was it small! I mean, how did they find the thing to “land” on it?
IIRC, souvenir “hunters” since 1620 have chipped it down to the size you see today.
The way Horwitz describes Plymouth Rock is that it’s pretty tiny. The community apparently decided that this was “the rock” on the basis of like 4th degree hearsay. Forty years after he heard it, a guy said that he heard an old guy on his death bed recollect about how his daddy used to tell him that that was the rock the Pilgrims first set foot on when reaching the area. I may have messed up some of the particulars there, but that was the nature of it.
At some point, some city boosters decided to move the rock to a museum of some sort because a pier had been/was being erected at the spot of the rock. So they hauled on the thing, but ended up splitting it in half. They took the piece to wherever it was being displayed, chipping it again in the process. Eventually, the pier was removed and the rock was rejoined with its other half using concrete to seal them together.
The rock is still at the bay, not too far from the water. (Don’t remember exactly how far as the wife and I saw it in ’94). The “mausoleum” thingy is built up around the rock. You look down on the rock-about twelve feet below-through metal bars. I also remember that the year was stamped on the rock. And yes, I do recall the whole story of how it was moved, broken, and put back together. All in all it was a bit of a letdown to see-as were some of the other “historical” sites around Boston, etc. Although it was kind of fun to go to Plymouth Plantation and try to get the “actors” to acknowledge something in the future;-)
Heading to Boston this weekend. I’ll skip the rock, based on the above anti-recommendations.
T-I’d suggest doing the Freedom Trail; if you have time. (It takes most of a day to do right). Some of the sites along the way are re-creations; but most of the buildings remain. Also, now that the “Big Dig” is finished that ugly freeway should now be dismantled and out of the way as you make your way from Fanuel Hall to the Paul Revere House and the Old North Chruch. Old Ironsides was also quite cool to see, as was Bunker Hill. Oh yeah, the Kennedy Library is the best presidential library I’ve visited. You can catch the “T” to get there.
I just started thinking about the Kennedy Library yesterday. I think that’s something I would want a whole day for.
We’re doing the Freedom Trail and walking around Beacon Hill, then heading over to Fenway for a game. Then up to the White Mountains of New Hampshire for a three day backpack.
We spent an afternoon at the Kennedy Library. I think I would have liked a bit more time. The grounds were beautiful; with a great view of downtown Boston and all the jets landing at Logan.