Links

[sunnyskywalker]

I know, it's a cop-out. I have interesting content in mind, I swear! Soon!

From American Indians in Children's Literature, Michael Hicks and Curtis Acosta on the Daily Show with Jon Stewart. Hicks tries to explain how the not-cancelled African American studies program does not promote resentment of white people, but the cancelled Mexican American studies program did. (You know, that program which included a play by that notorious hater of white people, William Shakespeare.) Because burritos promote resentment more than slavery, or something. At least, so Hicks has heard, since he never actually attended a MA class.

I've promoted it before, but for cheap books in the US, Paperbackswap.com is pretty awesome. Postage is still relatively cheap, so you can get a big, like-new hardback for around $2.81 (or less, it it's a thin book). I think BookMooch is international, but haven't tried it myself.

Online book: Forgotten Founders: Benjamin Franklin, the Iroquois and the Rationale for the American Revolution. Funny how this never came up in 5th grade history class...

ETA: Also, We Need to Talk About Hitler is a highly entertaining book review.

Comments

[majorjune.livejournal.com]

I knew about the Iroquois Confederation influencing the Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights, I think it may have even been mentioned, if only in passing, in 11th grade American History.

But you're correct in that it's never been really given the importance it should.

But hey, as much of an American Colonial History maven as I thought I was, I just recently discovered that New London, Connecticut was founded by an alchemist whose vision of the city was that it would become the center of alchemical studies in the New World...

THAT was never taught in history class, and I'm from Connecticut! LOL

[sunnyskywalker]

That's fascinating! It also occurs to me that in the Potterverse, he may have succeeded :D

[majorjune.livejournal.com]

He actually almost succeeded in real life. He was the first governor of Connecticut, and was a highly respected healer who didn't charge for his services.

I'm currently reading a book about him...the only reason New London never became a center for alchemical learning was due to politics, both with the area Indian tribes and with the Massachusetts and New Haven colonies....

[sunnyskywalker]

What kind of objections did they raise? *very curious*

[majorjune.livejournal.com]

No one raised objections regarding his alchemical studies, in fact the book points out that contrary to what we've been told, most Puritans considered the study of alchemy as a way of expressing God's will on Earth.

No, Winthrop's problems were purely of a mundane political nature when it came to trouble with the other colonies, and cultural (and somewhat political) problems with the Indian tribes.

Winthrop not only wanted to establish New London as a center of alchemical learning, but saw the natural result of such studies as resulting in monetary profit, e.g. he wanted to establish "mineral plantations", IOW mines to extract ores that could be used in alchemy.

So he not only wanted to establish a city on the shoreline of Connecticut where the Thames River empties into Long Island Sound, he wanted basically ALL of what is now the state of Connecticut from what is now the Rhode Island border west to the Connecticut River.

That was land that both the Algonquin and Mohegan tribes used; Winthrop thought he'd come to an understanding with the tribes regarding his use of the land, but what he didn't count on was the war that developed between the Algonquins and the Mohegans.

He also had problems with the Massachusetts colony which was making a claim to the same area of land, as was the New Haven colony. So the combination of warring Indian tribes and conflicting colonies' claims put an end to his dream of establishing "plantations" in eastern Connecticut that would aid in alchemical studies and inventions.

And as for New London becoming a center of alchemical study, basically it boiled down to the fact that very few alchemists in Europe wished to immigrate to the wilderness in the 1600s...

But well into the early 1800s many prominent New Englanders were well-studied alchemists, including the first president of Yale University. And when Winthrop was governor of Connecticut, he was instrumental in seeing that accused of witchcraft weren't executed, because he believed that "real" witchcraft required extensive study, something which was beyond the "lowly" villagers accused of the crime.

I made a more extensive post on this in my LJ blog back in January here:

http://majorjune.livejournal.com/117190.html

The painting of John Winthrop has him looking rather "Snapish", don't you think? ;-)

[sunnyskywalker]

That makes sense. Sometimes you can talk people around to ideas (sometimes), but "hey, that's my land, actually" is one objection people usually don't just let go of... And the boondocks aspect, yes.

Incidentally, I just finished listening to the audiobook of Sarah Vowell's The Wordy Shipmates. Winthrop's alchemy doesn't make an appearance, sadly, but it still makes a drive more entertaining. (Especially if you ever wanted to know how much cheese to pack for a three-month trans-Atlantic voyage. The account of Anne Hutchinson's trial was pretty funny too.)

I wonder whether there are any Princes in Winthrop's family tree? XD

[majorjune.livejournal.com]

Actually the idea I've been toying with is that there are SNAPES in the Winthrop family tree...

IOW, Severus would not only have a witch for a mother, but a father who (unknowingly) comes from a line of alchemists....

;-)