News & Press

Plimoth Patuxet Museums to Host Dr. Andrew Lipman

A weekend celebration of his new book Squanto: A Native Odyssey

Plymouth, Massachusetts (September 12, 2024) – Plimoth Patuxet Museums is pleased to host Dr. Andrew Lipman (Associate Professor of History, Barnard College) as he launches his new book Squanto: A Native Odyssey. The book, which is set to release on September 17, 2024, will be celebrated at the Museum with public programs on Saturday, September 21, and Sunday, September 22. These special programs will shed light onto the research process and explore recent revelations about the historical figure Squanto (Tisquantum).

While American schoolchildren have long been taught about Squanto and his interactions with the English colonists known as the Pilgrims, Dr. Andrew Lipman’s book goes beyond holiday legend to provide a fuller examination of this important historical figure. Drawing from a wide range of evidence and newly uncovered sources, Dr. Lipman reconstructs Squanto’s upbringing, his transatlantic odyssey, his career as an interpreter, his surprising downfall, and his enigmatic death resulting in a fresh look at an epic life that ended right when many Americans think their story begins.

Dr. Lipman’s work was influenced by the remarkable historical research made by archivist Purificacion Ruiz and her writing partner and translator Antonio Giron. Working in Spain, Ruiz and Giron have uncovered primary sources that add detail and understanding to the lived experiences of Wampanoag men, including Tisquantum, who were enslaved in Europe during the 1600s.

On Saturday, September 21, 12 - 1 pm, the Museum will host Dr. Andrew Lipman for an exciting lecture about his new book Squanto: A Native Odyssey, followed by a book signing.

Sunday, September 22, 12 - 1 pm, the Museum will facilitate an enlightening conversation with Dr. Andrew Lipman, Richard Pickering (Plimoth Patuxet Museums Deputy Executive Director & Senior Historian), Purificacion Ruiz, Antonio Giron, and Plimoth Patuxet Museums staff exploring primary sources that were crucial to Dr. Lipman’s writing. Additionally, this conversation will explore the historical revelations by Ruiz and Giron made in recent months. Attendees to the event will be among the first to hear this fascinating new information.

“Plimoth Patuxet Museums is privileged to interpret the lives, cultures, and worldviews of the people who lived along these shores of change in the 17th century,” said Executive Director Ellie Donovan. “Dr. Lipman’s work provides scholarly discoveries that will no doubt help us to collectively have a greater understanding of Tisquantum. We are pleased to host a weekend of programming celebrating Dr. Lipman’s book and invite the community to come and celebrate these new discoveries with us.”

Plimoth Patuxet Museums is open seven days a week, 9 am - 5 pm, now through the Sunday following Thanksgiving Day. Access to both programs are free to members, included with general museum admission, or available as a stand alone ticketed program. Learn more at plimoth.org.

About Plimoth Patuxet

Plimoth Patuxet is one of the Nation’s foremost living history museums. Founded in 1947, the Museum creates engaging experiences of history built on thorough research about the Indigenous and European people who met along Massachusetts' historic shores in the 1600s. Major exhibits include the Historic Patuxet Homesite, the 17th-Century English Village, Mayflower II, and Plimoth Grist Mill. A private, 501(c)(3) not-for-profit educational institution, Plimoth Patuxet is supported by admission fees, donations, memberships, and revenue from educational programs, gift shops and dining. Plimoth Patuxet receives support from the Massachusetts Cultural Council, private foundations, corporations, and local businesses. Located less than an hour’s drive south of Boston, and 15 minutes north of Cape Cod, the Museum is open daily from early spring through the Sunday after Thanksgiving. For more information, visit plimoth.org. Follow the Museum on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.