1619

Jamestown and the Forging of American Democracy

By: James Horn

Narrated by: Dan Woren

Length: 6 hrs and 47 mins

Publisher's summary

The essential history of the extraordinary year in which American democracy and American slavery emerged hand in hand in colonial Virginia.

Along the banks of the James River, Virginia, during an oppressively hot spell in the middle of summer 1619, two events occurred within a few weeks of each other that would profoundly shape the course of history. In the newly built church at Jamestown, the General Assembly - the first gathering of a representative governing body in America - came together. A few weeks later, a battered privateer entered the Chesapeake Bay carrying the first African slaves to land on mainland English America.

In 1619, historian James Horn sheds new light on the year that gave birth to the great paradox of our nation: slavery in the midst of freedom. This portentous year marked both the origin of the most important political development in American history, the rise of democracy, and the emergence of what would in time become one of the nation's greatest challenges: the corrosive legacy of racial inequality that has afflicted America since its beginning.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2018 James Horn (P)2018 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Horn's detailed analysis of events reveals how these twin events foreshadowed what would culminate in America's birth as a nation." (Booklist)

"This well-told account is strongest in its exploration of the conflicts among various English factions: in the 17th century, the utopian ideals of the earliest colonists clashed with and succumbed to mercantilist designs of private property, government by an elite planter class, conquest, and slavery." (Publishers Weekly)

"Readers may question whether the 1619 election deeply influenced our institutions, but it was the first, and Horn has expertly illuminated a little-known era following Jamestown's settlement." (Kirkus)

Good book

Lots of information, well presented. Must read for everyone that wants to understand how and why we are here.

The Prelude to what is now America

Very good historical lesson learned of things not known in Detail. It's like Star Trek before the 5 year mission episodes (Enterprise & Discovery)

Clear and vitally important

As so many conversations revolve around the 1619 project, I wanted to read the original book about that year and the significance of the events that took place. This book was absolutely excellent. It is short but not too short. It covers three groups of people all of whom had extremely different experiences during colonial times. Those people and their experiences have shaped the America we know today. Thank you.

My History

The great moment the Johnson story and my Mon history in Va. my Dad Maryland.

Meh....

Narrator did a nice job. I just found the content to be somewhat boring. You may enjoy it however!

Great book

I highly recommend this book. It tells the real story about our history.
Everyone should read it.

A must read …

Discover the amazing, nuanced, heartbreaking story of the birth of the Commonwealth of Virginia that isn’t taught in traditional education.

Brilliant!

Remarkable narrative in that it authoritatively and convincingly places the locus of our nation’s historical socio-political development in the minds of men surrounding the early establishment of Virginia, effectively stealing the thunder often attributed to a later generation of men such as Jefferson. Brilliantly written and outstandingly narrated in under 7 hours!

Good but becomes political at the end

Very informative and the narrator is great must read if you are interested in early America.

A must read, that is if you are an American

Important to know information to know. This should be on all 8th grade reading list. It should be a re-read in the 3rd year of high school.