Bradley, Hazen, and Stricker Family Trees - Why were so many early settlers buried in unmarked graves?
Have you wondered why the graves of so many early 17th century New England settlers are unknown or unmarked? From the Mayflower Colony on, it's the same - burial place unknown, or burial place assumed but grave unmarked.
Apparently, the earliest settlers decided to bury their loved ones in secret, without ceremony, often after dark. The grave was as small as possible, and the ground was recovered afterward to disguise the grave from any casual observer. Sometimes a plain, uncarved natural stone was placed at the grave so the loved ones would know the location, but it would be inconspicuous to anyone else. Why?
The early colonists did not want the Native Americans in their area to know how many settlers had died. The rationale was that the settlements must show strength to deter the Native Americans from attack, so they concealed the deaths to maintain the impression of a large, ever-growing settlement.
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