Colonial America Kids

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.

Did you know that the first English settlement in the New World was a disaster? Perhaps you have heard the story of Roanoke before. Or maybe even the creation of Jamestown. But have you heard about the Spanish colonies in North America? Or the French and Dutch settlements? Colonial America was diverse, with European settlers from various nations coming to the New World and meeting the Native Americans who already inhabited the land. What were their interactions like? Was there any semblance of peace between all of the groups who called this land their home?

Here’s another book that tackles the daily lives of families living in different times. History should be discussed as a time where people lived and societies functioned according to the norms at the time. Examining relationships will make it easier for children to understand the events of the past. Make sure you include this book in your child’s collection of history resources. Grab a copy today.

The Mayflower was the great ship that brought the Pilgrims to a new land. It was big, but there were a lot of people on board, so there was hardly enough room for everyone. You don't encounter the same problem when you're traveling on ships these days. But for some time, can you image what it must have been like to travel in the Mayflower?

In 1692, a few paranoid Puritans accused their neighbors of being witches sending the town flying off the (broomstick) handle. Before it was all over, dozens of women in Salem, Massachusetts were executed—burned at the stake. RIGHT? WRONG! There was some serious witch worry, but no one in the United States was put on a pyre (though the truth isn't much better). And women weren’t the only ones caught in crossfire…maybe don’t tell your dog about this one.