By Charles Mathewson
In 2020, Plymouth will host a celebration of the 400th anniversary of the arrival of Mayflower and the English colonists called Pilgrims. But the 400th got underway Thursday evening in the Plymouth Public Library.
After the first winter killed half the colonists, two native men approached the hungry survivors and welcomed them in English. One of them, Squanto, had been kidnapped by Englishmen 400 years ago this fall, learned to speak English, escaped slavery and returned home to find his village wiped out by disease.
Squanto stayed with the English, teaching them how to survive in this environment.
Wampanoag woman Paula Peters has produced a multi-media display titled Captured 1614. The display will remain on view at the Plymouth Library through March 15th when it begins traveling.
Click below to listen to the Charles Matthewson’s interview with Paula Peters:
http://959watd.com/blog/2014/11/plymouth-400th-anniversery-begins-in-2014-with-captured-1614-display/
