Journal of Nicholas Cresswell, 1774 - 1777

The son of a sheep farmer in Edale, Derbyshire, Nicholas Cresswell was only 24-years old when he came to explore America firsthand. He spent three years in New England keeping a diary of his expleriences. “A person with a small fortune may live much better and make greater improvements in America than he can possibly do in England.” A loyalist to the crown and seemingly ill-prepared for travels in the colonies, he was frequently taken aback with the harshness of the land and the growing sentiments against the King. “Nothing but independence will go down. The devil is in the people.” Nevertheless, he provides valuable insight into what life was like during the time of the American Revolution, including among Native American and enslaved peoples.