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People were burned at the stake in New
England, and whipping was a common punishment. Hangings were gala
affairs where food and drink was served, and pelting a neighbor who
sat in the stocks with rocks and filth from the street was a weekly
form of recreation. There were strict rules and regulations for all
17th and 18th centruy Pilgrims and Puritans -- and to break a rule
might mean death. Yet, children, women and anyone of a different religion
were treated quite cruelly, whether they broke the rules or not. Almost
every New England family owned at least one black (and sometimes one
white) slave prior to the Revolution, and the slave's fate was at
the whim of his or her master. This book reveals some old and well-kept
secrets that will suprise you. |