The spirit of Thomas Paine is, in many ways, the spirit of the independence of this great nation. He is in fact our patron saint of American independence. But after all he gave and accomplished, does he rest peacefully? Probably not. When he was buried on his farm in New Rochelle, New York in 1809, he hadn't rested a decade when his bones were dug up and stolen away to England by an overly zealous admirer -- and those bones would never be seen (officially) again. Well, this Halloween, we're going to find out how peaceful things are -- or are not -- with old Thomas Paine. And you don't want to miss it. So be sure to subscribe to Island Voices on YouTube or wherever you listen to podcasts. Climb aboard. History is cool...and sometimes, it's a little scary.

The Spirit of Thomas Paine

1609

In 1609, the Dutch East India Company hired who they thought was the right navigator to go find the fabled waterway shortcut to Asia. But while they not only mis-calculated the ulterior designs of the slippery Englishman named Henry Hudson, they were also very interested to learn about the magnificent trove of beaver skins that his Dutch crewmen just happened to have received in trade -- directly from the natives of this place. The place which Hudson's ancient man of the sea Robert Juet recorded as "Manna-hata" before any other European had ever recorded it as such. And from that point forward, life upon this raw, fertile island, and in effect, upon the entire vast Earth, would never be the same again. Episode 101: Manna-hata 1609.

1. Manna-hata - Episode 101

1612

In the tattered wake of Henry Hudson, Adriaen Block navigates the onrust that develops amongst both the Algonquins and the Dutch alike. And in the process, he becomes ward to two Algonquin teens whose Sachem father has requested that the Captain take boys to Amsterdam to further educate them in this growing fur trade. But the unintended consequences of this undertaking would darken the efforts of the noble Adriaen Block and his eager, fallen Catholic apprentice Jacob Eelkens in immeasurable ways. Ep. 102 - Orson &amp; Valentine, 1612.

2. Orson & Valentine - Episode 102

1613

Following two successful voyages to this fertile new land called "Manna-hata", Lambert van Tweenhuysen recognizes the inevitable reality of the competition developing over this lucrative new fur trade. And as Adriaen Block and Hendrick Carstyaensen race back to their Sachem at Sapokanikan for a third time, the rude encroachment of this new wave of poachers creates newfound trouble on this otherwise idyllic island. And with the sudden presence of a dark-skin crewman being called "Jan", there emerges a newfound sense of unrest, for Jacob Eelkens and the entire Adriaen Block team. And as a direct result of the untoward ways of one such poacher, Captain Thijs Volkertz Mossel and his despicable supercargo Hans Jorisz Hontom, results the defection of the one they're calling "Jan", creating Manhattan's very first immigrant -- who hails not from the Netherlands, France, Spain nor England, but rather, from the island that was tagged by Columbus as "Hispanola", or the one we call the Dominican Republic today. Episode 103. Climb aboard. History is cool :)

3. "Jan" - Episode 103

1614

Over the long winter of 1613, Manhattan's first immigrant, Juan Rodrigues, becomes an integral component of the Sachem's trade and in the process an invaluable asset to the Dutch traders upon their return. But, Rodrigues' choice of Dutchmen to trade with is certainly NOT the ones who brought him to this island, Thijs Volkertz Mossel and the despicable Hans Jorisz Hontom. Rather, Rodrigues, now thoroughly versed in the finer points of this burgeoning trade system, makes it quite clear to Carstyaensen and Block that it is they whom he wishes to work for and as "a free man", feels it is his right to make that choice. But, unfortunately, just as Frans Jansen has said, this Mossel and Hontom are nothing but trouble...or ONRUST, which is exactly what unfolds on this wild and untamed Island of Manna-hata in the spring of 1614. Climb aboard. History is cool :)

4. Onrust - Episode 104

1619

After toiling away in this fertile new land for the entirety of his young adult life, Jacob Eelkens was certain that the advent of this "New Netherland Company" would be his opportunity to shine in this priceless market. But upon Captain Hendrick Carstyaensen's return to the Hudson, Jacob would be shattered to learn that not only was he and his uncle Hendrick Eelkens not included in the exclusive list of investors for this company, but that Jacob's entire existence here, would now be thoroughly regulated by this newfound entity. And suddenly Jacob's childhood as a shamed outcast in Rouen, France cloaks the fallen Catholic in a murky darkness, and when he retreats to the hills above Sapokanikan, he formulates his own, odd three-way alliance, between himself, the increasingly detached Orson, and the man who most wants to see Hendrick Carstyaensen disappear -- the inimitable Hans Jorisz Hontom. Climb aboard. History is cool :)

5. New Netherland - Episode 105

1624

"To every time, there is a season." And while Ecclesiastes' prophetic words sounded a bit different out of the mouths of the original settlers of this incredible place that we now call "New York", it meant the same thing in the seventeenth century as it does today. And faced with the horrors of the Spanish Inquisition, these bold, intrepid servants of God refused to accept the tyranny and oppression imposed upon them by the Holy Roman Empire and Hapsburg Spain. And in 1624, this fiercely passionate race of humans came here when no one else would and with their own sweat and blood they forged the roots of what would become the greatest city -- and eventually the greatest nation -- on Earth. "Il y a un temps pour tout, un temps pour toute chose sous les cieux." There is a time for everything. And in 1624, it was the time for THEM. Let us never forget the story of our true "Manhattan Pilgrims". Let us never forget the story of the Walloons.

6. Wampum & Walloons - Episode 106

1626 

The Dutch West India Company finally find their boots on the ground in the fierce and passionate race of refugees who would not only become our bonafide "Manhattan Pilgrims", but would in fact forge the most impactful society ever known to man. And by 1626, these Walloons would make their mark on this incredible Island, for evermore. Climb aboard. History is cool :)

7. ISLAND - Episode 107 (Part One)

770 WABC's own "Bo Snerdley"

The coolest man -- and possibly the coolest head -- on talk radio today. 770 WABC's James Golden (aka: "Bo Snerdley"). This Friday, Oct 7 on Island Voices. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/island-voices/id1574898368 Climb aboard. History is cool :)

James Golden

the story of Manhattan from 1609 to 1909

The first three hundred years of colonization of Manhattan Island and its resounding impact on our culture and our world. Created and hosted by actor, writer, and New Yorker Chance Kelly, the series illustrates how this place is an island unto itself, not just geographically, but idealistically, philosophically and spiritually. Island uncovers our true lost American History. It examines the city's effect on religious and personal freedoms throughout the world. Chance's own heritage is central to much of this story directly as his great, great, great uncle Honest John Kelly, himself emerged from the slums of Five Points to become one of the first Irish-Catholic Congressmen in 1856, and would later reform the reeling Tammany Hall in the wake of the Boss Tweed era. John Kelly was a fiercely courageous advocate for oppressed immigrants from everywhere. Island is the character-driven portrait of the inimitable souls responsible for a place founded on capitalism but perpetuated on an infectious and unapologetic measure of tolerance. Our narrative begins in 1609 when Henry Hudson happens upon Manhattan and the river that would come to bear his name, and culminates in 1909 when Western interloper William Randolph Hearst has infiltrated New York publishing and the fistfight that is Manhattan politics. Climb aboard this voyage of discovery as we tell the epic story, over three centuries, of the forging of the epicenter of the universe. Researched, written and produced by Chance Kelly and Dr. Jaap Jacobs. Research Associate James Edward Malin.

Island

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The Spirit of Thomas Paine

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2. Orson & Valentine - Episode 102

3. "Jan" - Episode 103

4. Onrust - Episode 104