DISCOVERING SOWAMS AND THE 17TH CENTURY AROUND US

While we’re about to hear a great deal about the Pilgrims’ landing in Plymouth a year from now during the 400th anniversary celebration, chances are we’ll hear little about what happened in and around Bristol, Warren and Barrington a year later, starting in 1621. A decade ago, Nathaniel Philbrick’s book, Mayflower, revealed that much of the story of that time actually took place in what is now Southern Massachusetts and nearby Rhode Island.

Following his retirement as a psychologist in Fall River in 2017, Dr. David Weed began to explore the 17th century history right around his Warren, RI home. Within a few months, he was able to identify over fifty locations from that period in history, many of which have long been forgotten. All of those locations are now described on the SowamsHeritageArea.org website.

Weed and his collaborator, Helen Tjader of Barrington, identified Barrington, Bristol, East Providence, and Providence, RI, as well as Rehoboth, Seekonk and Swansea, MA, as the Sowams Heritage Area and set out to give it national recognition. Dr. Weed will talk about this project after giving an overview of 17th century history that saw the transition from Native to colonial domination of the land.