Thump! As they slowly opened their eyes, the friends were no longer in the Lenape village. Now, they were sitting on the trunk in the middle of a deck on a sailing ship.

“Where in the world are we now?” Ryan asked.

Just as the words left his mouth, a man in a uniform greeted them with a smile.

“My name is Thomas Eves of England. Welcome aboard the English Ship Kent.”

“We’re a little confused. We were just in a Lenni Lenape village,” said Alyssa.

“Don’t worry! I’m here to help you understand,” Eves said, “You have to remember that the Lenni Lenape lived in Burlington County for hundreds of years. They lived in peace with nature. Nature provided them with everything they needed. They were a happy people. In the 1600’s, their lives changed forever.”

Alyssa quickly raised her hand saying, “Why? What happened?”

“Well, many people from different countries in Europe like the Dutch from the Netherlands, Swedes from Sweden, and the Quakers from England came to settle in Burlington County. They came for many different reasons. Some were searching for religious freedom, some wanted to get rich, others wanted to farm on better soil, and some just came to find a better life. The first people to arrive came with a famous man named Henry Hudson.”

“Hey, is that who the Hudson River is named after?” asked Ryan.

“It is, and they settled in the northern part of New Jersey near the Hudson River. Later, the Dutch settled on Burlington Island. They wanted to set up a government and trading post. The Native Americans and the Dutch traded many goods. The Lenni Lenape traded tobacco and corn in exchange for knives and beads. However, the Dutch found it hard to travel along the Delaware River in their sailing ships called schooners, so they moved back to North Jersey and eventually settled on Manhattan Island in New York.”

“Then, what happened?” Nina interrupted.

“Lots of stories about this new land reached Europe. Queen Christina of Sweden heard these stories and wanted riches for her country. So, she sent two ships loaded with hatchets, knives, and tools to help build new homes and grow crops. They also brought many new items to trade with the Native Americans such as cloth, ornaments, and rings. The Swedes took over the Dutch settlement on Burlington Island and named it ‘New Sweden’."

“How did the Lenni Lenape people and the Swedes get along?” Nina asked.

“We believe that they hunted and traded together until one day the Dutch decided they wanted Burlington Island back. Their bossy, peg-legged Dutch governor, Peter Stuyvesant, sent his army to take back the land. The Swedes surrendered and now the Dutch owned all of the land between the Hudson and Delaware Rivers. This land was named ‘New Netherland’. Some Swedes were allowed to stay if they wanted to be part of the Dutch settlement.”

“Wait a minute! This is confusing,” blurted Alyssa.

“I know! Be patient children! ‘Cue up’, and I’ll finish my story. In 1664, the King and Queen of England sent their navy to take over Peter Stuyvesant’s ‘New Netherland’. Governor Stuyvesant refused to surrender and begged his people to fight for the land. Because he was an unpopular leader, the settlers wouldn’t fight and all of the land became the property of England. Meanwhile, back in England, King Charles II demanded that everyone in his country worship in and belong to the Church of England. But many Quakers, like me, weren’t happy and left in search of religious freedom. We heard how the Lenni Lenape had cleared the land in Burlington. We knew there were plenty of forests that provided lumber and wildlife. Burlington was located along the Delaware River and the Rancocas Creek. This would give us excellent transportation routes. What a perfect place to live! That’s why in this year of 1677; I’m on this ship along with 200 other Quakers. I’m sure there are many more Quakers who are about to make the same journey.”

Ryan wondered, “Wait a minute! Isn’t his last name Eves? There’s a town near us in Mount Laurel called Evesham. I bet it’s named after him!”

Before Ryan had a chance to ask, the boat came to an abrupt stop. Thomas Eves said goodbye to his friends, and set off to explore his new home in Burlington. Now the kids were eager to find out what happened next, and it was Alyssa’s turn to reach into the trunk.

She quickly slipped her hand in the trunk and pulled out a pair of wire-rimmed glasses.

As the friends grabbed hold of them, they suddenly began to spin...and spin…and spin. Hand in hand, with eyes shut tightly, they spiraled down…down…down… until…