More on Salem
August 14, 2013
We took today as a layday in Salem. As is our custom, we took a local trolley tour to get a snapshot of the community. During that one hour tour, we learned a great deal about the history of this place. Salem is not just about the witch trials. In fact, all of the relics of that time have been removed long ago except for the house of the magistrate who presided over the trials. Salem is much more than that to our history. For instance, the first shot "heard around the world" almost took place here were it not for two practical officers. The local militia commander stopped the British commander sent to seize the militia weapons. They had a parley wherein they decided to let the Brit inspect an area in town conspicuously absent weapons and head back to Boston in exchange for which the militia, who outnumbered them two to one, would not fire. Later the boys at Concord and Lexington seized the moment to start the Revolution.
Back to Salem's contribution to America: At one time the customs collected here accounted for roughly one-fifth of the national revenue. Pirates were here before those pirates. Blackbeard left is love behind on Isle of Shoals, New Hampshire (30 miles away) when the British showed up to capture him. They did not do so nor did old Edward Teach return. His lady love died of a broken heart there. Marblehead, just around the point, hosted many a pirate.