If you were to travel to Massachusetts and visit both Plimoth Plantation and Old Sturbridge Village on the same tour you would be struck by the changes in American life that occurred between the early 17th century and the early to mid 19th century. At hardscrabble Plimoth, it’s easy to imagine how half of the Pilgrims died during the first bleak and cold year. Old Sturbridge Village, 200 years later, shows a vibrant community with large and well-appointed farmhouses, fat livestock and lively commerce. Life was abundant enough even to include bits of fancy, like the gazebo we found on a prosperous farmer’s property.
