Margaret Smith's Journal Part 1 from Volume V of The Works of John Greenleaf Whittier

A young woman’s notebook opens a window onto New England in the late 1670s, offering a candid, day‑by‑day record of her first months in the Massachusetts Bay colony. Written for a beloved cousin, the entries blend personal feeling with careful observation, noting the stark beauty of the coastline, the chill of the winter air, and the awe‑filled exclamations of her brother as they first glimpse the settlement. Her purpose is modest—simply to capture what she sees and thinks—yet the narrative already hints at the complex social web she is entering.

Through her eyes we meet the Rawson family, the bustling town of Boston, and a host of “principle people” from clergy to magistrates. The journal sketches lively gatherings, the kindness of a sister‑like Rebecca, and the everyday challenges of travel, illness, and adapting to a new world. Its intimate tone and vivid details make it a rare, lifelike portrait of colonial life, inviting listeners to travel back and hear the hopes, doubts, and small joys of those early settlers.