Discovering America Podcast

A letter written by Sir Henry Vane sent to Roger Williams wondering why the people of the Plantations and Aquidneck could not see their way through their differences and become a union of one government.

Three ships commanded by Juan de Ojeda along with the great pilot Juan de La Cosa and Amerigo Vespucci would sail off for parts unknown, well not quite. Please join me for what is considered the second voyage of Vespucci.

The other English colonies didn’t like the opinions or the teachings of Roger Williams and it was decided he must go. He headed off to plant a colony away from the rest of society although, many found his presents more favorable and made their way to his new land called Providence.

William Claiborne sailed over from England in 1621, became secretary of the province and was later appointed treasurer of Virginia for life. He created a trading post on Kent Island, a convenient place for trading with the Indians, far up the Chesapeake Bay. In 1634 new settlers landed in this area and created a new province naming it Maryland. This group had a charter authorized by the King, taking away land that was considered part of Virginia and this would include Kent Island. So starts the mud flinging between Claiborne and Lord Baltimore.

New colonies were springing up all over New England. The Massachusetts Bay Company needed to keep an eye open to maintain its own legitimacy and legal patients. There was always someone bending the ear of the king. If one Puritan community didn’t agree with your beliefs, one could move to a different one, this included preachers.