About this episode

Morgan reads a letter from William Penn that reveals insights into early colonial America and the lives of Indigenous peoples.

In this episode, Morgan reads A Letter from William Penn, Proprietary and Governour , a powerful primary source that offers a revealing look at early colonial America through the words of William Penn himself. The document describes the original melanated beings in America—the Aboriginal peoples—depicting them as black, swarthy, and copper-colored, while also showing how they lived, governed, and interacted before and during the beginnings of colonization. Through this reading, the episode invites listeners to reflect on the historical presence of Indigenous and melanated peoples in America long before the dominant colonial narratives took hold. It challenges erased histories and restores attention to the lived reality, identity, and cultural presence of the original people of the land.

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