What does it take for law-abiding men to risk their lives and their families’ livelihoods in favor of rising against the long arm of a powerful King and government? The odious Pine Tree Law had pushed Ebenezer Mudgett, a forty-six-year-old liquor merchant and his friends, normally circumspect and honorable colonists, to the breaking point. On April 14, 1772, Ebenezer and a small group of resolute settlers helped to ignite the fuse that would lead to a bloody revolution and, ultimately, the independence of millions of people. Beginning in the village of Weare, New Hampshire, this little-known event was one of the catalysts for the Boston Tea Party and the shot heard ’round the world.
Tales of Survival in Colonial New England depicts two stories of resilience in the face of adversity: 1- In 18th century New Hampshire, it was very easy to blame Rhoda Dustin, the Great Witch of Weare, for every bad outcome— the death of one’s best milking cow or cream not churning into butter. When young Reuben Favor got himself in a crisis of his own doing, he immediately pointed his finger at Mistress Dustin. Could she survive the accusation?2- Between King Philip’s War in 1675 and the French and Indian Wars which ended in 1763, Indians tribes held 1,641 New Englanders hostage. Timothy Corliss had the distinction of being the last person the Indians abducted in present-day Weare, New Hampshire. If he had known of the honor, it would have been little consolation. With a pocket of other colonists captured along the route, they arrived in Canada in the beginning of winter starving, exhausted, and cold. Would they be able to endure the rest of their captivity in the Indian village? W...
