When the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock, they were looking for a drink.

Author and historian Susan Cheever tells Steve Fast that were it not for the need of a replenishment of beer barrels, American history could have gone very differently.

“They couldn’t drink water, so they had to drink beer. Water wasn’t safe to drink in 1620,” Cheever says. “Famously they landed on Cape Code because they were running out of beer. Their charter from the king was for Virginia.”

Cheever tells Steve Fast that many historians overlook the everyday motivations that influenced the pathways of history. In this case, it was the influence of alcohol.

“I think history in the 21st century tends to take a broad view and leave out the everyday details,” Cheever says. “In doing that it leaves out many of the things that actually influenced the overall view.”

In her book “Drinking in America: a Secret History,” Cheever examines a number of historical events that were under the influence of alcohol.

Speaking on The Steve Fast Show, Cheever also discusses the connection between alcoholism and writing. Her father, the novelist John Cheever, was known as a drinker.

Listen to the interview: Susan Cheever on The Steve Fast Show

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