Towns and Villages

Later in in the book, Wood describes a number of towns and settlements around New England.  I chose this page in particular because it gives some insight into the town in which Tufts University is located, as Somerville was not established until the mid 1800s.  Wood gives some indication that the town of Medford is a good place to live and could house many more people that it does.  Another town mentioned, Charlestown, is described as being almost equal with Boston.  Just like any travel guide, Wood’s New England’s Prospect serves to create a full picture of the region for its readers.  By giving a ketch of each individual town, the author is able to offer a virtual tour of how European culture had developed in the colony.  He mentions that Medford does not have enough people living in it and could readily support a larger number of residents.  By including this fact in the book, Wood is both giving a good description of the town, while at the same time implying the importance of continued settlement.  On the second half of the page, Wood goes into detail about New Towne—now known as Newton.  New Towne is described as being planned to be a great city.  However, the people there are incredibly wealthy.  The author is successfully giving a wide overview of each town in New England, thus giving the readers a better sense of the new world.