Settlements Established in 1654 - Northampton, Massachusetts (Paperback)

Purchase includes free access to book updates online and a free trial membership in the publisher's book club where you can select from more than a million books without charge. Excerpt: Northampton, Massachusetts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The area now known as Northampton was named Norwottuck, or Nonotuck, meaning "the midst of the river" by Native Americans. In 1653, land was purchased from the native inhabitants making up the bulk of modern Northampton. Colonial Northampton was founded in 1654 by settlers from Springfield, Massachusetts. Northampton's territory would be enlarged beyond the original settlement, but later portions would be carved up into separate cities and towns. Southampton, for example, was incorporated in 1775, and included parts of the modern territories of Montgomery (which was itself incorporated in 1780) and Easthampton. Westhampton was incorporated in 1778, and Easthampton in 1809. A part of Northampton known as Smith's Ferry was separated from the rest of the town by a section of Easthampton. The shortest path to downtown was on a road near the Connecticut River oxbow, which was subject to frequent flooding. Smith's Ferry was ceded to Holyoke, Massachusetts in 1909. Initial cooperation between the settlers and the Natives gave way to conflict, evidence of which can be seen clearly in nearby Historic Deerfield. Northampton hosted its own witch trials in the 18th century, although no alleged witches were executed. Members of the Northampton community were present at the Constitutional Convention. Colonial American Congregational preacher Jonathan Edwards led a spiritual revival in Northampton beginning in 1733. It reached such intensity, in the winter of 1734 and the following spring, as to threaten the business of the town. In the spring of 1735, the movement began to subside and a reaction set in. But the relapse was brief, and the Northampton revival, which had spread through the Connecti... More: http://booksllc.net/?id=116820