Journal of Nicholas Cresswell

Behold, the Journal of Nicholas Cresswell, a young Englishman who came to the US during the Boston Tea Party and stayed during the Revolutionary War. I am so grateful to his family for not only keeping his journal, but also allowing it to be published. History is a touchy subject, especially when we have to discuss topics like slavery and Native Americans. Being able to learn about these things from someone who saw it first hand is eye-opening to say the least. Especially when you realize what you had been taught in school was - on the whole -incorrect. During this time in the US, the land was mainly still just wilderness aside from a few small colonies. (SOME) Native Americans not only helped the colonists via trade, but either fought with the English, French, or for the colonies. It was a customary practice that whole traveling through Native land you would be given a temporary wife as a sign of respect. The other tribes were well known for hunting and killing Colonials, especially on the river. 400 years of fighting, these tribes were not weak or underestimated. This book also includes a speech from the Ottawa Chief regarding the treaties and is said to be one of the best speeches in history. The slave ships last stop was the US, before they came here they also were sent to Bermuda and South America. In a country of 2.5 million, 500,000 were slaves. The slave owners included ex slaves, wealthy blacks, Native Americans, and the overwhelming majority were Jewish (included in the book) the remaining >2% were white. I am not a slavery sympathizer, these are just historical facts. This country was by no means a welfare situation. If you couldn't afford flour or catch your food, you went hungry. If you could survive dysentery, you were ahead of the game. You had to have a want to live to survive here. The Irish, also called, "White Niggers" were ranked below slaves and said to be dirty, lazy, and cowardly. I suppose that's where the signs, "No blacks, No dogs, no Irish" came from.

A huge thank you to Jon Townsend for signing this book for me!

10/10