Bethlehem Trading Post Presents
With Vincent “Vinnie” Spiotti
Discover the people, places, and experiences that shaped seventeenth- and eighteenth-century New England.
From daily life on the colonial frontier to military campaigns, trading networks, and the challenges of northern winters, these programs bring regional history to life through engaging presentations, historical research, and discussion.
Available for historical societies, libraries, museums, schools, community organizations, and private groups.
Explore the history of New England and its northern frontier through stories of daily life, conflict, exploration, and cultural exchange. Standard presentations last approximately one hour, including audience questions.
18th Century
Discover the importance of frontier forts in northern New England. Explore Fort Wentworth, the upper Connecticut River corridor, military supply routes, and the challenges faced by people moving through the North Country during the eighteenth century.
17th–18th Centuries
What was everyday life really like on the colonial frontier? Explore clothing, food, shelter, family responsibilities, seasonal work, and the practical skills of daily life, comparing popular images with historical evidence.
18th Century
Examine the French and Indian War through the experiences of northern New England. Learn about military campaigns, forts, travel routes, and the different interests of British, French, and Indigenous communities.
18th Century
Who were Rogers’ Rangers, and how does their reputation compare with historical evidence? Explore movement, equipment, reconnaissance, and the difficult realities of frontier warfare, including its consequences for civilians.
17th–18th Centuries
How did people travel, dress, and stay warm during northern New England winters? Explore snowshoes, winter routes, shelter, fuel, food storage, and the practical knowledge used to meet the season’s challenges.
17th–18th Centuries
Explore the networks that connected Indigenous peoples, European settlers, and merchants. Learn how furs and manufactured goods moved through systems of exchange, diplomacy, and competition, and how trade shaped relationships across the frontier.
Additional historical subjects may be arranged according to audience interests, preparation requirements, and scheduling availability.
English colonization, established Indigenous homelands, trade, land disputes, and changing relationships that shaped early New England.
Explore the causes, human costs, and regional consequences of seventeenth-century conflict, including differing perspectives and the limits of surviving accounts.
Household economies, skilled labor, childrearing, family responsibilities, and community life across different social circumstances.
Food production, seasonal cooking, preservation, household labor, and the material culture of colonial kitchens. This is a presentation, not a food-tasting event.
The Revolution beyond its most familiar battles, including local military service, supplies, loyalties, and the experiences of New Hampshire families and communities.
An extended interactive program exploring clothing, equipment, shelter, food, and practical decisions involved in frontier travel. Suitable reproductions and historical images help participants test their assumptions against historical evidence.
Several presentation formats are available for schools, libraries, historical societies, museums, and community organizations.
| Program Format | Duration | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Standard Illustrated Lecture | 60 minutes, including questions | $325 |
| School Classroom Presentation | 45–50 minutes, including questions | $250 |
| Extended Lecture & Discussion | 75–90 minutes | $425 |
| Interactive Reproduction Equipment Program | 90 minutes | $475 |
| Half-Day Seminar: Two Topics and a Break | 3 hours | $725 |
| Three Standard Lectures Booked Together | Three separate 60-minute sessions | $950 |
Travel: Travel within 25 miles each way of Bethlehem, New Hampshire, is included. Beyond the included 50 round-trip miles, travel is charged at $0.65 per additional mile. Any necessary overnight travel expenses will be quoted in advance.
Program details: Standard fees include routine preparation and one presentation. Substantial original research, consumable materials, recording rights, or additional sessions may require a separate quote.
Vincent “Vinnie” Spiotti is a North Country educator, published writer, and historical interpreter with a longstanding interest in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century colonial history, outdoor life, and the New England frontier.
A Penn State graduate, Vinnie has taught college courses since 1995 at Lyndon State College and White Mountains Community College.
He is a contributing staff writer for Muzzleloader Magazine and has published more than 100 magazine articles over the past twenty years.
An owner and partner of Bethlehem Trading Post since 2001, he combines teaching, historical interpretation, reenactment, and outdoor recreation to make regional history accessible to a wide range of audiences.
His presentations emphasize historical research, memorable stories, maps, illustrations, and opportunities for audience discussion.
Presentations can be adapted to school curricula, historical society meetings, library programs, museum events, and other educational gatherings. Standard lectures generally include an illustrated presentation followed by audience questions.
Extended discussions, multiple-topic sessions, and interactive programs may also be arranged. Where appropriate and available, reproduction clothing and historical equipment may be incorporated into a presentation.
Interested in hosting a colonial history program? Bethlehem Trading Post welcomes inquiries from libraries, historical societies, museums, schools, community groups, and private organizations.
Please contact us with your preferred topic, location, approximate audience size, and proposed date. We will be happy to discuss availability and arrangements.
Call 603-346-1263
Bethlehem Trading Post
Bethlehem, New Hampshire
bethlehemtradingpost.com
