Funerary practices have been around since the dawn of civilization. By the time Europeans settled in North America, the most common tradition was to bury the dead. This, of course, included a number of religious elements. But America was not just a place where Christian settlers (with all their different denominations) lived. Native Americans, and later Africans, also inhabited the land, and they too had their own funeral traditions.
In this gallery, we explore the funerary traditions of the inhabitants of the Thirteen Colonies. Click on and get to know them.