In 1765, when Joseph Rotch sailed across the bay from Nantucket, he brought with him the skills and knowledge to start New Bedford's whaling industry. By 1830 the town was a larger whaling port than Nantucket, with an immense fleet employing more than 10,000 people.

*Includes descriptions of the trials and executions of the accused.*Includes testimony from some of the cases and the petitions of some of the accused asking for clemency. *Includes pictures depicting important people, places, and events. *Includes a Bibliography for further reading.*Includes a Table of Contents. "More than once it has been said, too, that the Salem witchcraft was the rock on which the theocracy shattered." George Lincoln BurrA lot of ink has been spilled covering the lives ...

“The story transcends Boston with an insider's view of the criminal justice system."—The Boston GlobeA captivating work of true crime investigative journalism that makes a powerful case against a previously unexposed Boston serial killerIn this bold and suspenseful true-crime story, former homicide prosecutor Timothy M. Burke makes his case against one Leonard Paradiso. Lenny “The Quahog” was convicted of assaulting one young woman...

During his career as an actor, William Gillette portrayed world-renowned character Sherlock Holmes in more than 1,300 performances.His career as a playwright and actor afforded him the opportunity to purchase a 184-acre estate, where he also built a twenty-four-room medieval-style castle. Overlooking the Connecticut River, Gillette's castle was complete with spy mirrors, sliding furniture, hidden rooms and a three-mile quarter-scale railroad. Since becoming a state...

The great myth of horse racing is that the game is the regal and royal Sport of Kings. It isn't. Not by a long shot.Anyone who doubts this need look no further than Suffolk Downs, a once-proud racecourse graced in its glory years by boisterous throngs and champions such as Seabiscuit. Now the blue-collar East Boston track is one of many that have fallen on hard times. These days "Sufferin' Downs" is where grizzled Thoroughbreds come to end their careers, hopeful yo...

Although the town benefits from a position on a major navigable waterway, Middletown's success is primarily due to the energy, creativity, and diversity of its people. These include James Riley, whose autobiography detailing his trials as a white slave in Northern Africa showed millions of Americans the evils of slavery; Max Corvo, who helped the World War II Italian underground defeat the fascist regime; and Christie Ellen McLeod, longtime chief pathologist at Middlesex Memorial Hospital....

The Northeastern United States -- home to abolitionism and a refuge for blacks fleeing the Jim Crow South -- has had a long and celebrated history of racial equality and political liberalism. After World War II, the region appeared poised to continue this legacy, electing black politicians and rallying behind black athletes and cultural leaders. However, as historian Jason Sokol reveals in All Eyes Are Upon Us, these achievements obscured the harsh reality of a region riven by seg...

A photo-packed celebration of Boston's 1967 pennant win.It was a summer that united a city and transformed a franchise. Led by 1967 MVP Carl Yastrzemski and Boston's first Cy Young Award winner, Jim Lonborg, the youngest Red Sox team since the days of Babe Ruth went from ninth to first place in what remains the closest pennant race in baseball history.Tony Conigliaro, Rico Petrocelli, George Scott, Reggie Smith, Billy Rohr, Jerry Adair, and their teammates ...

Many believe that support for the abolition of slavery was universally accepted in Vermont, but it was actually a fiercely divisive issue that rocked the Green Mountain State. In the midst of turbulence and violence, though, some brave Vermonters helped fight for the freedom of their enslaved Southern brethren. Thaddeus Stevens--one of abolition's most outspoken advocates--was a Vermont native. Delia Webster, the first woman arrested for aiding a fugitive slave, was also a Vermonter. The R...

Long before Maine became known as Vacationland in the 1890s, Wells beckoned promoters and guests from the inland cities of New England. During the 1850s and 1870s two grand hotels, complete with entertainment centers, accommodated these visitors. By 1885 the hotels had been destroyed by fires, but they were replaced with smaller boarding houses and private cottages. Beginning with the wealthy mill owners and industrialists and then expanding to include the working class, Wells� tourist ind...

The skilled craftsmen of New York founded The General Society of Mechanics and Tradesmen in 1785, and the organization's history is aligned with the city's physical and cultural development. In 1820, The Society founded its library. It began a lecture series in 1837 and opened the Mechanics Institute in 1858 to provide free education in the trades. Prominent New York members included Andrew Carnegie, Peter Cooper, Abram S. Hewitt and Duncan Phyfe. The Society's educational programs continu...

In this robust, informal book, Robert E. Pike tells the colorful story of logging and log-driving in New England.The New England loggers and river drivers were a unique breed of men. Working with their axes and peaveys through Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont, they contributed mightily to the development of the United States. The daily life of the loggers was hard — working in deep icy water fourteen hours a day, sleeping in wet blankets, eating coarse food, and c...