Author Archives: Rebecca Beatrice Brooks

About Rebecca Beatrice Brooks

Rebecca Beatrice Brooks is the author and publisher of the History of Massachusetts Blog. Rebecca is a journalist and history writer who got her start in journalism working for small-town newspapers in Massachusetts and New Hampshire after she graduated from the University of New Hampshire with a B.A. in journalism. She is a member of the American Historical Association, Historic Salem Inc, the Danvers Historical Society, the Salisbury Historical Society and she volunteers for the National Archives and the Massachusetts Historical Society transcribing historical documents. Visit this site's About page to find out more about Rebecca.

Gallows Hill in Salem, Mass

Gallows Hill in Salem, Massachusetts

Gallows Hill is a small hill in Salem, Massachusetts that was originally believed to be the site of the Salem Witch Trials hangings in 1692. Then, in January of 2016,… Read more »

"The March of Miles Standish" lithograph by Joseph E Baker circa 1873

When the Pilgrims Rescued Squanto

On August 14, 1621, Plymouth colonists embarked on a rescue mission to save Squanto after he had been taken prisoner by a sachem named Corbitant at the nearby village of… Read more »

"Samoset in the Streets of Plymouth," Illustration circa 1906

Squanto: The Former Slave

Squanto was a Native American from the Patuxet tribe who taught the pilgrims of Plymouth Colony how to survive in New England. Squanto was able to communicate with the pilgrims… Read more »

Danvers State Hospital Kirkbride Complex circa 1893

History of Danvers State Hospital

Danvers State Hospital was a psychiatric hospital built in 1874 on Hathorne Hill. The hill is a 257-foot-high glacial drumlin located in Danvers, Massachusetts, which was originally known as Salem… Read more »

Map of the Lakeville area, circa 1893

The Disturbance of the Indian Shore Cemetery

In October of 2008, a local historian determined four gravestones that had been propped up against a tree in Lakeville, Massachusetts, for many years had come from an unknown location…. Read more »