We know the song “Over the River and Through the Wood” as a Christmas carol, but it was originally titled “The New England Boyâs Song about Thanksgiving Day.” Despite the songâs quaint themes of traditional New England holiday cheer, the woman who wrote it was anything but traditional. Medford native Lydia Maria Child had been a pioneering childrenâs author, but her increasingly radical positions on abolitionism, womenâs rights, and freethinking jeopardized her earning power and helped galvanize a movement. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
Continue reading Over the River and Through the Wood (episode 160)