As our nation prepares to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the United States – called the Semiquincentennial or America250 – communities across the country are abuzz! We are reflecting on how our shared story began, how it has unfolded, and how to reconcile injustices to the Indigenous people and to the enslaved.
While the anniversary marks the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, American history stretches back much further, beginning with European contact and the profound consequences that followed for Indigenous peoples across this land.
The familiar American narrative often begins in 1620, when English Separatists known as the Pilgrims arrived in Massachusetts. Along with their political and religious ideas, they brought cultural traditions—including a fondness for beer—that became woven into colonial life and later helped fuel resistance to British rule.
By 1650, English settlers began establishing homes in what is now Northport, New York. Long before their arrival, Long Island was home to many Indigenous communities. Our area was known as Matinecock, meaning “Rolling Hills,” and its people were part of the Algonquian-speaking nations who shared language, customs, and deep ties to the land.
In 1656, Chief Asharoken of the Matinecock community sold land to English settlers from Huntington, marking the start of marginalization and a permanent European presence here centered on farming and cattle grazing. The community would not officially be known as Northport until 1837, decades after the American Revolution.
Less than 120 years after the Pilgrims’ arrival, the colonies’ rag-tag militias, with the help of the French, defeated the British Empire. From unlikely beginnings emerged the American Experiment.
It is a story worth sharing: one of ideals and contradictions, courage and conflict, aspiration and human injustice. As we approach this milestone anniversary, we celebrate our nation’s founding, sensitive to the full story.
Huzzah, and happy anniversary, America.
By Carol Taylor, Co-Founder
As co-founder of History Repeatn’, Carol consistently leverages her extensive experiences in both the acting and teaching world to develop engaging and creative experiences that are innovative, informative and entertaining for all.
