Do History: Martha Ballard's Diary Online Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 01/25/2008 - 22:21
Image
Annotation

This interactive case study explores the 18th-century diary of midwife Martha Ballard and the construction of two late 20th-century historical studies based on the diary: historian Laurel Thatcher Ulrich's book A Midwife's Tale and Laurie Kahn-Leavitt's PBS film by the same name.

The site provides facsimile and transcribed full-text versions of the 1,400-page diary. An archive offers images of more than 50 documents on such topics as Ballard's life, domestic life, law and justice, finance and commerce, geography and surveying, midwifery and birth, medical information, religion, and Maine history. Also included are five maps, present-day images of Augusta and Hallowell, ME, and a timeline tracing Maine's history, the history of science and medicine, and a history of Ballard and Hallowell. The site offers suggestions on using primary sources to conduct research, including essays on reading 18th-century writing and probate records, searching for deeds, and exploring graveyards. A bibliography offers nearly 150 scholarly works and nearly 50 websites.

Maps
Newspapers and Periodicals
Official Documents
Paintings and Prints
Personal Accounts
authors
biographies
birth
colonies
colonists
colonization
diaries
documentaries
film
films
Maine
midwives
movies
pregnancy
writers
Images
Text
Video
Women's History Month
Splash Pullout Women's Month
Learn Women's Month
Revolution & New Nation, 1754-1820s
Daily Life
Family Life
Gender
Health & Medicine
Literature
New England
Science & Tech.
Women
Fort Matanzas National Monument Anonymous (not verified) Tue, 01/08/2008 - 13:28
Description

Coastal Florida was a major field of conflict as European nations fought for control in the New World. As part of this struggle, Fort Matanzas guarded St. Augustine's southern river approach. The colonial wars are over, but the monument is still protecting—not just the historic fort, but also the wild barrier island and the plants and animals who survive there amidst a sea of modern development.

The site offers a short film, exhibits, tours, demonstrations, educational programs, and recreational and educational events (including living history events).

Fort Frederica National Monument [GA]

Description

Georgia's fate was decided in 1742 when Spanish and British forces clashed on St. Simons Island. Fort Frederica's troops defeated the Spanish, ensuring Georgia's future as a British colony. Today, the archaeological remnants of Frederica are protected by the National Park Service.

The site offers a short film, exhibits, tours, educational programs, and occasional educational and recreational events (including living history events).

Scam, Scandal, Murder, and Mayhem in Colonial Boston Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 01/04/2008 - 14:03
Description

COO of the New England Genealogical Society D. Brenton Simons explores the criminal history of colonial Boston. He examines such issues as murders and murderers, including a serial murderer; con men; and witch trials. His presentation includes slides.

Audio and video options are available.

War of Words: The Last Colonial War in American Literature

Description

Professor Wayne Franklin discusses the life and work of James Fenimore Cooper, his inspiration for and work on the French and Indian War novel The Last of the Mohicans, and the influence of his depiction of this war on U.S. popular novels, works on the war, literature and on the colonial-era history of the U.S. Franklin also covers, in relation, the history of fiction-writing and novels in the U.S.

Naked Quaker and Other Pre-Revolutionary Tales Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 01/04/2008 - 14:03
Description

Historian and lawyer Diane Rapaport recovers stories from pre-Revolutionary-War New England court records, examining cases that highlight the concerns of ordinary people and reveal the daily life of Puritans during this period. The presentation includes slides.

Audio and video options are available. The video can be watched with or without captions.

Salem Witch Judge: Samuel Sewall's Life and Repentance Anonymous (not verified) Fri, 01/04/2008 - 14:03
Description

Historian Eve LaPlante examines the life of Judge Samuel Sewall, who condemned over 30 people to death for witchcraft in 1692 and publicly apologized in 1697, spending the rest of his life in penitence and social action. The presentation includes slides.

Subscribe to colonists