Showing results by narrator "Anthony N. Damian" in All Categories

Benjamin Franklin left behind quite a legacy as an inventor, politician, and philosopher. Yet when he first arrived in Philadelphia, his future wife thought he had “a most awkward, ridiculous appearance.” Franklin recalls that this was because at the time he was carrying a large dinner roll under each arm and eating a third as he walked down the street. This delightful excerpt from his memoir shows how Franklin got his start in the printing business and demonstrates his skill as a humorist.

William Penn acquired a large section of American land in a debt settlement and transformed it into a thriving colony. He wrote this tract (and others) to recruit British colonists to Pennsylvania. In it, he praises the quality of the weather, the abundance of agricultural opportunities, and their good relations with the native people. His persuasive words capture a sense of “America the beautiful” that drove thousands to seek a new life in the land of opportunity.

In this account, Gottlieb Mittelberger reveals the plight of poor German families who migrated to America in the 18th century. It was normal at the time for poor Europeans to fund their journey to the New World by agreeing to a period of indentured servitude. Yet what Mittleberger observed was more akin to slavery: workers were auctioned off upon arrival with no formal contract. This enlightening record reveals a darker side to early American history.

James McLaughlin worked as an Indian agent for most of his life. His most infamous act, however, was ordering the arrest of Sitting Bull for fear that his participation in the Ghost Dance movement would inspire Indian rebellion. “The newspaper reports regarding the arrest and death of Sitting Bull have nearly all been ridiculously absurd”, he wrote to the United States Indian Service. With this account, he attempts to defend his role and set the record straight on the circumstances that led to the death of this influential Native American leader.

The Jamestown settlers imagined life in the New World would be flowing with abundance, but things were not as they expected. Not only were they agriculturally inexperienced, but they had bad luck negotiating with the natives and faced delays of their food shipments from England. In “The Starving Time”, Captain John Smith recounts the bleak conditions of the winter of 1609-10, including tales of people so desperate they resorted to cannibalism. It was a time of starvation indeed - of the colony’s 500 residents, only 60 lived till spring.