Colonial America:A Very Short Introduction

Nonfiction, History, Americas, United States, Colonial Period (1600-1775)
Cover of the book Colonial America:A Very Short Introduction by Alan Taylor, Oxford University Press, USA
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Alan Taylor ISBN: 9780199987146
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA Publication: October 11, 2012
Imprint: Oxford University Press Language: English
Author: Alan Taylor
ISBN: 9780199987146
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Publication: October 11, 2012
Imprint: Oxford University Press
Language: English

In the traditional narrative of American colonial history, early European settlements, as well as native peoples and African slaves, were treated in passing as unfortunate aberrations in a fundamentally upbeat story of Englishmen becoming freer and more prosperous by colonizing an abundant continent of "free land." Over the last generation, historians have broadened our understanding of colonial America by adopting both a trans-Atlantic and a trans-continental perspective, examining the interplay of Europe, Africa, and the Americas through the flow of goods, people, plants, animals, capital, and ideas. In this Very Short Introduction, Alan Taylor presents an engaging overview of the best of this new scholarship. He shows that American colonization derived from a global expansion of European exploration and commerce that began in the fifteenth century. The English had to share the stage with the French, Spanish, Dutch, and Russians, each of whom created alternative Americas. By comparing the diverse colonies of rival empires, Taylor recovers what was truly distinctive about the English enterprise in North America. He focuses especially on slavery as central to the economy, culture, and political thought of the colonists and restores the importance of native peoples to the colonial story. To adapt to the new land, the colonists needed the expertise, guidance, alliance, and trade of the Indians who dominated the interior. This historical approach emphasizes the ability of the diverse natives to adapt to the newcomers and to compel concessions from them. This Very Short Introduction describes an intermingling of cultures and of microbes, plants, and animals--from different continents that was unparalleled in global history.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the traditional narrative of American colonial history, early European settlements, as well as native peoples and African slaves, were treated in passing as unfortunate aberrations in a fundamentally upbeat story of Englishmen becoming freer and more prosperous by colonizing an abundant continent of "free land." Over the last generation, historians have broadened our understanding of colonial America by adopting both a trans-Atlantic and a trans-continental perspective, examining the interplay of Europe, Africa, and the Americas through the flow of goods, people, plants, animals, capital, and ideas. In this Very Short Introduction, Alan Taylor presents an engaging overview of the best of this new scholarship. He shows that American colonization derived from a global expansion of European exploration and commerce that began in the fifteenth century. The English had to share the stage with the French, Spanish, Dutch, and Russians, each of whom created alternative Americas. By comparing the diverse colonies of rival empires, Taylor recovers what was truly distinctive about the English enterprise in North America. He focuses especially on slavery as central to the economy, culture, and political thought of the colonists and restores the importance of native peoples to the colonial story. To adapt to the new land, the colonists needed the expertise, guidance, alliance, and trade of the Indians who dominated the interior. This historical approach emphasizes the ability of the diverse natives to adapt to the newcomers and to compel concessions from them. This Very Short Introduction describes an intermingling of cultures and of microbes, plants, and animals--from different continents that was unparalleled in global history.

More books from Oxford University Press, USA

Cover of the book Royals and the Reich:The Princes von Hessen in Nazi Germany by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book Guns or Butter : The Presidency of Lyndon Johnson by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book Hadith: Oxford Bibliographies Online Research Guide by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book The Lion's World: A Journey into the Heart of Narnia by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book Autos And Progress : The Brazilian Search For Modernity by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book Beyond Talent : Creating a Successful Career in Music by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book The Making of Buddhist Modernism by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book Music Language and the Brain by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book A Brief History of the Philosophy of Time by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book The Tibetan Book of the Dead : Or The After-Death Experiences on the Bardo Plane according to Lama Kazi Dawa-Samdup's English Rendering by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book Crisis Intervention Handbook : Assessment Treatment and Research by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book The Caucasus:An Introduction by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book "...the real war will never get in the books":Selections from Writers During the Civil War by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book The Lost Gospel of Judas Iscariot : A New Look at Betrayer and Betrayed by Alan Taylor
Cover of the book Abortion in America : The Origins and Evolution of National Policy by Alan Taylor
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy