This has nothing to do with genealogy but it does strike me as an interesting footnote to American history. A mysterious shorthand used by 17th century religious dissident Roger Williams has finally been decoded after more than 100 years of effort. A team of Brown University students has finally cracked the code.
Historians call the now-readable writings the most significant addition to Williams scholarship in a generation or more. Williams is Rhode Island's founder and best known as the first figure to argue for the principle of the separation of church and state that would later be enshrined in the Bill of Rights.
You can read more about the code breaking effort at http://goo.gl/KMGaC.
You can read more about Roger Williams at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roger_Williams_%28theologian%29.
My thanks to newsletter reader Ernie Thode for telling me about this story.
