The Wordy Shipmates

“The Wordy Shipmates” is Vowell’s boiled-down description of Puritan emigrants. Does this title capture the essence of the historical actors in the book? Why does she use this and other short phrases to characterize the Puritans in humorous ways?

How does Vowell characterize the continent’s “original inhabitants”? How does she characterize their experiences alongside Spanish, French, and especially English colonists? What is the book’s main lesson about colonialism?

Vowell lists several TV shows and other popular culture set in Puritan New England. Seek out one of these representations or refer to one that you’ve encountered in your own life. What collective narrative does this popular medium tell about that time? How does it compare with Vowell’s history?

All of the historical characters that Vowell discusses are complex individuals motivated by various causes. Who emerges as the most surprising within their historical context? Why? Who emerges as the least surprising? Why?

The last major episode in the book is the banishment of Anne Hutchinson. How did that fact that Anne Hutchinson was a woman impact her life? Think about the circumstances under which she emigrated to, worked in, and left Massachusetts.

John Winthrop articulated several goals for his “city upon a hill.” Vowell concludes that Boston never quite became that envisioned beacon. What values did mid-17th century Boston reflect, if not the ones that Winthrop prioritized?

The book’s historical events span a decade, but Vowell tells a much larger story. What writing strategies does Vowell employ to link the Massachusetts Bay Puritan history to larger themes of American history? What are the most important larger themes that she explores?

To what extent does the regular humor that Vowell employs help or hinder her objectives in writing about colonial Puritan society? Offer at least three specific examples of how humor functions in a particular anecdote, example, or argument.