Colonial Life

History is recorded in many ways. According to author James Deetz, the past can be seen most fully by studying the small things so often forgotten. In his completely revised and expanded edition of In Small Things Forgotten, Deetz has added new sections that more fully acknowledge the presence of women and African Americans in Colonial America.

In the gold rush era of Virginia City, Montana, crime was afoot and justice shaky. Lawlessness ran amok in the form of gamblers, saloonkeepers, miners, dance hall girls, and road agents - outlaws who ambushed travelers on the road for a chance to steal precious gold. Of all the road agents, Henry Plummer was their king and elected sheriff. Plummer’s notorious road-agent band terrorized the highways until a group of ordinary citizens resolved to take the responsibility of social governance into their hands.

You just tried out for the school play. Who wants the lead part more than anyone? YOU! Imagine riding in horse-drawn carriages. Dining with the finest silverware. Wearing fancy clothes and powdered wigs. But be careful what you wish for. That might not be the way it was for a settler in Colonial America.…

Harriet Jacobs’ autobiography, written under the pseudonym Linda Brent, details her experiences as a slave in North Carolina, her escape to freedom in the north, and her ensuing struggles to free her children. The narrative was partly serialized in the New York Tribune, but was discontinued because Jacobs’ depictions of the sexual abuse of female slaves were considered too shocking. It was published in book form in 1861.

Independence Lost reveals that individual motives counted as much as the ideals of liberty and freedom the Founders espoused: Independence had a personal as well as national meaning, and the choices made by people living outside the colonies were of critical importance to the war's outcome.

After an early childhood in a small rural mountain kingdom, filled with friendly people, we were tossed about by the winds of change that wafted through Africa. Abandoned by the Crown and rejected by the Swazis, most of us scattered over Southern Africa, somewhat baffled and resentful, but never forgetting the innocent joys of our childhood and the beauty of Swaziland. The son of a District Commissioner, I grew up with Swazis and spoke siSwati before I spoke English. I am known by my Swazi name in the family and amongst Swazis. These are some memories of the people, places and dogs in the ...

Leading into the 400th anniversary of the voyage of the Mayflower, Martyn Whittock examines the lives of the "saints" (members of the Separatist Puritan congregations) and "strangers" (economic migrants) on the original ship. Collectively, these people would become known to history as "the Pilgrims". The story of the Pilgrims has taken on a life of its own as one of our founding national myths - their escape from religious persecution, the dangerous transatlantic journey, that brutal first winter.

In John Adams: A Life, Ferling offers a compelling portrait of one of the giants of the Revolutionary era. Drawing on extensive research, Ferling depicts a reluctant revolutionary, a leader who was deeply troubled by the warfare that he helped to make, and a fiercely independent statesman. Bringing to life an exciting time, an age in which Adams played an important political and intellectual role. this book is a singular biography of the man who succeeded George Washington in the presidency and shepherded the fragile new nation through the most dangerous of times.

A forgotten legacy. A name erased from history. The voice of the first mestizo. A mysterious descendant of Hernán Cortés and La Malinche contacts the author to examine an ancient family manuscript. Within its pages lies the memory of Martín Cortés Malintzín —knight of the Order of Santiago and captain in the Spanish Tercios— who at last decides to tell his story in his own voice. Trained in the courts of King Charles I and his son Philip II, Martín rose to honor and glory before returning to New Spain, where his name would awaken suspicion and fear. Soldier, courtier, and heir to ...

The Life and Times of Robert Flint the Pioneer is the story of one heroic man's life. Robert's descendent, David Burton Flint, reveals Robert's rise from a meager, immigrant beginnings to a pioneer and hero on the wild and warring early American frontier. A skilled and courageous warrior. Robert fought bravely in the French and Indian War and the American Revolutionat War. He saw the glory and the grusomeness of battle and knew the value of family and security. This account of Robert's legendary existence is a saga of the essence of the human experience and the fire of patriotism. It is the...

Step into the boots of a Founding Father. History comes alive in this unique biography narrated by George Washington himself. Go beyond the portraits and statues to discover the flesh-and-blood man: the brave soldier, the reluctant leader, and the dedicated farmer. You’ll experience the defining moments of the Revolution—from the thunder of cannons to the quiet desperation of a nation on the brink—all from his intimate, first-person perspective. Understand his internal struggles as he navigates the challenges of nation-building and sets the precedents for the presidency. This book is ...

In the shadows of Salem Village in 1692, one young girl must navigate the complexities of a divided society. Often cold and hungry, eight-year-old Verity Manton, an orphaned ragpicker, clings to the scraps of love and kindness in her harsh world. Things get tangled as the village Puritans' strange behavior grows more alarming. Verity is caught between the safety of her life and the promise of a better future with a Quaker family who reaches out to her. Yet, she has been warned her whole life that Quakers are evil. Will Verity have the courage to trust her heart and choose a path that defies...

George Washington’s Memoirs of a Life Forged in Liberty To narrate George Washington's life in his voice, providing readers with an intimate, first-person account of the pivotal events in his life, from his youth through war and nation-building to his final years, revealing the man behind the myth. George Washington’s personal journey from a young boy in Virginia to becoming the Father of His Country shows his internal thoughts and growth, providing an intimate first-person perspective. The American Revolution and Washington's military leadership are illustrated through key battles, ...

How did the colonists of Jamestown and Maryland live and die? Forensic anthropology provides an incredible array of answers. Scientists can look into a grave and determine the skeleton's gender, age at time of death, nationality, and sometimes even economic standing within minutes. Laboratory studies can provide cause of death information.

For over 200 years, Americans have been fascinated by the Revolutionary period and the patriots who led the growing resistance movement against British authority. In particular, the clandestine activities of Boston's Sons of Liberty in the decade before the war continue to be a source of both intrigue and mystery. The Sons of Liberty chronicles the amazing lives and careers of the four most famous members of the Sons of Liberty, examines their relationships before and during the Revolution, and analyzes their lasting legacies. Along with pictures of important people, places, and events, you will learn about Samuel Adams, John Adams, Paul Revere and John Hancock like you never have before.

An epic gothic adventure set in various locations in South Africa and the UK during the late 19th century. Sign of the Spider is a mesmerizing tale that revolves around the life of Laurence Ferran who is trapped within the confines of a dull suburban life in London. Spurred by hopes of breaking free and forging a new life, Ferran embarks on a thrilling adventure to Johannesburg, South Africa, a land of booming prospects during this period.While aboard the RMS Persian, Ferran builds significant relationships, particularly with Martin and the enchanting Lilith Battey. Ferran’s deepening ...

The Most Wounded Warrior in British Military History Shot in the face, head, stomach, ankle, leg, hip, and ear. Survived two plane crashes. Tunneled out of a prisoner-of-war camp. Lost an eye and a hand, then pulled off his own mangled fingers when a doctor refused to amputate them. His response to it all? "Frankly, I enjoyed the war." A True Story That Defies Belief Lieutenant-General Sir Adrian Carton de Wiart, VC lived through what should have killed him a dozen times over. This meticulously researched biography unveils the astounding true story of Britain's most decorated and wounded ...

In the 18th century, Bridgetown, Barbados, was heavily populated by both enslaved and free women. Marisa J. Fuentes creates a portrait of urban Caribbean slavery in this colonial town from the perspective of these women whose stories appear only briefly in historical records. Combining fragmentary sources with interdisciplinary methodologies that include black feminist theory and critical studies of history and slavery, Dispossessed Lives demonstrates how the construction of the archive marked enslaved women's bodies, in life and in death.

The long-awaited biography of the frontier Founding Father whose heroic actions and neglected writings inspired an entire generation, from Paine to Madison. On May 10, 1775, in the storm-tossed hours after midnight, Ethan Allen, the Revolutionary firebrand, was poised for attack. With only two boatloads of his scraggly band of Vermont volunteers having made it across the wind-whipped waters of Lake Champlain, he was waiting for the rest of his Green Mountain boys to arrive....

This enthralling work of scholarship strips away abstractions to reveal the hidden - and not always stoic - face of the "goodwives" of colonial America. In this book, we encounter the awesome burdens - and the considerable power - of a New England housewife's domestic life and witness her occasional forays into the world of men. We see her borrowing from her neighbors, loving her husband, raising - and, all too often, mourning - her children, and even attaining fame as a heroine of frontier conflicts or notoriety as a murderess.