author

Frederic Kidder

1804–1885

A self-educated New England antiquarian, this 19th-century writer turned local history into vivid storytelling. His books explore early American conflict, settlement, and Indigenous history with the curiosity of a dedicated researcher.

2 Audiobooks

The Popham Colony : $b a discussion of its historical claims, with a bibliography of the subject

The Popham Colony : $b a discussion of its historical claims, with a bibliography of the subject

by William Frederick Poole, Edward Ballard, Frederic Kidder

The Abenaki Indians Their Treaties of 1713 & 1717, and a Vocabulary

The Abenaki Indians Their Treaties of 1713 & 1717, and a Vocabulary

by Frederic Kidder

About the author

Born in New Ipswich, New Hampshire, on April 16, 1804, Frederic Kidder became an American writer and antiquarian known for his deep interest in New England history. He was largely self-educated and spent parts of his career in business in Boston and New York before devoting serious attention to historical research and writing.

Kidder wrote on subjects that linked local memory to larger moments in early American history. His works include The History of New Ipswich, The Expeditions of Capt. John Lovewell, History of the First New Hampshire Regiment in the War of the Revolution, History of the Boston Massacre, March 5, 1770, and The Abenaki Indians. His writing is especially valued for preserving documents, traditions, and regional detail that might otherwise have been lost.

He died on December 19, 1885, in Massachusetts. Today he is remembered as one of those careful 19th-century historians whose enthusiasm for the past helped shape how later readers understand colonial and Revolutionary-era New England.