Time capsules are used by communities across the United States to capture a moment in time and preserve artifacts for future generations. Colonial leaders in Boston, Massachusetts buried a time capsule under the Massachusetts State House in 1795. The contents from this time capsule have been removed and displayed. Listen to learn more about who buried the time capsule and what they found inside.
Story Length: 1:56
WBUR
AIR DATE: 01/07/2015
November 21, 2014
3:58
The traditional Thanksgiving story tells us that the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts in 1620 and were greeted by an English speaking Native American named Squanto. Squanto taught the Pilgrims to survive in the New World and prevented them from starving. But this legend fails to tell the whole story; for example, why did Squanto speak English? Listen to learn the real story of Squanto, which began 400 years ago in 1614.
Read MoreOctober 31, 2014
5:52
When we imagine a witch today, we think about a halloween costume with a pointy black hat, warts and a broom. This public radio story takes us back to a darker period in colonial America, when people believed that witches lived among them unnoticed. At this time, accusations of being a witch led to the Salem witch trials and the execution of more than a dozen women. We hear from an author who recently compiled a book about the reality behind these accusations of witchery, and what they say about society and stereotypes.
Read MoreOctober 10, 2014
8:35
Columbus Day is celebrated every October, but our understanding of Christopher Columbus and his “discovery” of America has changed dramatically since Columbus Day became a federal holiday in 1937. This change of perception has come with more knowledge of what the Americas and Native American cultures were truly like before Europeans arrived. Highly complex and organized communities could be found in places like the Aztec capital of Tenochtitlan. This public radio story paints a vivid picture of the Americas before Columbus and compares our original understandings of the area with reality.
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