For all your travel inquires: William.Matthews@Fora.travel
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My love of the Caribbean started from an early age with tales of the enchanted green volcanic isle of Saint Lucia from my parent’s honeymoon. It evoked that early stage of independence and still strong ties to the mother country, a nation in transition. My wife’s family happened to be big cruisers and I quickly adopted their love of sailing, I was blessed to be introduced to almost every major island in Caribbean.
There’s something about travel by ship across a vast stretch of open water, that truly stirs the soul, it’s a sense of awe and adventure. Obviously the history of the West Indies is much more complex and nuanced than its modern facade of paradise travel would indicate. To sail amongst the islands, is to navigate both that pain and pleasure, these form the original and present foundations of the Caribbean. One of the constant observations I make about the Caribbean is the lack of a middle, it’s a place of extremes. From beauty and wealth to ugly violence and poverty, it’s important that one understands the history that surrounds this.
It’s why I’ve made an effort to tie my podcast narrative to the greater Atlantic world and the Caribbean basin, while offering up this extensive knowledge to help clients craft their own unforgettable historical themed voyage. Make sure to download, complete and send in me your intake form found at the bottom of this page, so we can start you on your historical journey today!
Meet
Our Host
William Matthews
William Matthews has over 25 cruises under his belt and have traveled to almost every Caribbean destination outside of Cuba. With more than two decades of planning, booking and executing cruise itineraries. Mr. Matthews was a local APUSH Teacher and Department Chair, with more a decade of experience in the classroom. He holds a BA in History and a MSEd in Social Studies Secondary Education, while being a scholar recipient of both The Williamsburg Teacher Institute and the Fort Ticonderoga War College. He is currently a Board Member with the Friends of Philipse Manor Hall State Historic Site, a Dutch-Anglo Great House of the Hudson Valley, that was intimately connected to the Caribbean in a myriad of ways.
- The Battle of RidgewayUnder The Green Harp and a Canal to Eire: The Battle of Ridgeway, 1866 The Welland Canal is a crucial waterway in Ontario, that sits just west of Buffalo and occupies the Niagara escarpment. The canal connects Lake Ontario to Lake Erie and eliminated the need for a portage around the difficult falls. First constructed…More
- Book Review: Tacky’s RevoltWithout a doubt my favorite book I’ve read in the last several years on the transatlantic slave trade, the lens Author Vincent Brown uses is so refreshing, it connects and implicates everyone surrounding the Atlantic Basin. The thematic use of the constant state of low level warfare being shifted about the Atlantic wide basin, helps…More
- The Pirate Patroons of The Hudson ValleyIt’s June 7th and the year is 1692, the time is approaching noon at Port Royal, Jamaica, suddenly a massive earthquake turns the spit of sand into into liquid muck and an enormous tsunami sweeps away anything that hasn’t sunk below the surface waves already. This natural disaster destroys the major pirate haven of the…More
- Montserrat’s Afro-Irish HistoryThe Other Emerald Isle: Montserrat’s Rich Irish-Afro Culture In a slight Galway lilt, a group of enslaved Afro-Irish chat around a pot of “Goat Water,” resembling a stew from far across the western ocean. The plotters knew the tiny British Island of Montserrat would be enthralled by the upcoming Saint Patrick’s day celebrations and the…More
- The Bayeux TapestryThe Tapestry is both completely shrouded in mystery, while simultaneously being a world famous source for one of the key turning points in western civilization. Our first mention of it was in a 1476 inventory of the Bayeux Cathedral, where it was being displayed for eight days each November until 1728. It was almost destroyed…More
Historical Caribbean Voyages 