Coming to America: Portrait of Colonial Life: Upsurge in Immigration
In addition to the large influx of African slaves in the early 18th century, there is an upsurge in the number of German and Scotch Irish Protestants who immigrate. Their economic potential is restricted in their home countries, in part because of t...
Coming to America: Portrait of Colonial Life: Family Unit in Colonial New England, The
Within the marriage relationship, community-prescribed roles and responsibilities are molded to meet the needs of the family, with the male head of household responsible for maintaining social and moral order within the family . There is no such thi...
Coming to America: Portrait of Colonial Life: Family and Community Life in New England
The portrait of life in New England plays out in stark contrast to life in the Southern colonies primarily because New England is settled by family groups. Although birth rates and life expectancy are generally high, women settlers find themselves i...
Turbulent Virginia: Pirate Base...Royal Colony: England Revises Approach to Colonization and Establishes Royal Colony of Virginia
England and its Virginia Company surrogate take steps to revise their approach to colonization yet again. They increase incentives for families willing to migrate, attempt to attract merchants rather than aristocrats, and develop agricultural produc...
Turbulent Virginia: Pirate Base...Royal Colony: Relationship between Early English Settlers and Native Americans
The people of Jamestown would not have survived at all without the assistance of Native Americans. They taught the settlers how to plant corn and give them gifts of food. The paradox of Jamestown, as Edmond Morgan describes it, is that the settlers,...
Turbulent Virginia: Pirate Base...Royal Colony: Virginia Company Investments Spawn New Colony
London investors are now becoming interested in financing overseas ventures. Initially they were looking to make money by establishing trading posts like the French or privateering They turn to colonization only as a last resort. The London Company,...
Precarious Experiment, A: Economic Upheaval
There is tremendous economic disruption after the war. The currency is worthless; Robert Morris' proposed 5% duty tax to pay for war debts fails. Under the Articles of Confederation economic problems fall to the states to resolve if a unanimous vote...
Precarious Experiment, A: Western Expansion
The Confederation's most significant accomplishment during the 1780s is the resolution of at least some of the controversies related to western lands. Much of the frontier land had been acquired by land speculators who advertise it and attempt to se...
Precarious Experiment, A: Precarious Union
Even though the revolution was successful, long-term prospects for the survival of the United States are uncertain. Both internal difficulties and threats from abroad plague the young nation. The leaders of the country are quite sensibly worried. It...
Not Much of a War: How the Continental Army Outlasted Britain's Military Might
How can the small, rag-tag Continental army outlast the 18th century's most formidable military power? One important factor is that the British misunderstand what they are facing in this conflict, one of five battlefronts in which the British are en...