Description
Book SynopsisFind out what life was like in colonial America from the people who lived it!This first book in the
American Heritage American Voices series will give you a rare glimpse into the day-to-day experiences of early Americans. You''ll learn from fourteen-year-old George Washington about his Rules of Civility and Decent Behaviour (such as Do not laugh too much or too loud in public.); you''ll read the testimony of an accused witch from the Salem witch trials; and you''ll hear about the terrible conditions African slaves suffered when they were brought to America, from one of the slaves who survived. You''ll also find out about what led up to the Boston Tea Party, what happened to the signers of the Declaration of Independence, and the daring mission of the first submarine (in 1776!).
From Columbus''s letter describing his first voyage to America to the Constitution of the United States, Colonies and Revolution presents a wealth of period documents, includ
Table of ContentsIntroduction to the American Heritage American Voices Series vii
Introduction to Colonies and Revolution ix
PART I: Colonizing a New World 1
Christopher Columbus Signs a Contract 2
From an Agreement between Christopher Columbus and the Rulers of Spain, April 17, 1492 3
Columbus Describes His Voyage 3
From Christopher Columbus's Letter to Lord Raphael Sanchez, March 14, 1493 4
The Mystery of Roanoke 4
From John White's Journals, 1590 5
The Legend of Pocahontas 7
From John Smith's The General History of Virginia, 1624 8
The First Settlements in New England 9
From William Bradford's History of Plymouth Plantation, "The Mayflower Compact," 1620–1647 10
The Survival of Plymouth Plantation 10
From William Bradford's History of Plymouth Plantation, 1620–1647 11
A Difficult Voyage 13
From a German Immigrant's Letter Home, 1750 13
Keeping a Sense of Humor 14
Forefathers' Song, c. 1630 15
Indenture: Encouraging Newcomers 16
Aulkey Hubertse's Indenture Contract, 1710 16
Pennsylvania: Drawing Colonists from the Continent 18
From William Penn's Some Further Account of the Province of
Pennsylvania in America, 1683 18
PART II: Daily Life in Colonial America 21
All in a Day's Work 22
From a Girl's Diary, 1775 22
Life in Williamsburg 23
From Andrew Burnaby's Travels . . . , 1759 23
Education and Morals 24
From The New England Primer, c. 1680 25
Washington's Rules for Civil Behavior 26
From George Washington's Rules of Civility & Decent Behaviour, 1747 27
Clothing in the Age of Homespun 27
From Reverend John Schuyler's Journal, c. 1805 28
Wealth and Fashion 29
A Description of Dress, 1710 29
The Salem Witch Trials 30
From the Transcript of the Trial of Sarah Good, 1692 31
Judge Sewall's Apology 32
From Judge Samuel Sewall's Diary, 1696 and 1697 32
Anne Bradstreet: America's First Poet 33
Anne Bradstreet's "To My Dear and Loving Husband," 1678 33
Eliza's Gift to South Carolina 34
From a Letter by Eliza Lucas, 1740 35
Advice on Choosing a Husband 36
From the Royal American Magazine, 1774 36
Advice on Being Feminine 36
From John Winthrop's History of New England, 1645 37
Living Well 37
From the Diary of John Adams, 1775 38
A Girl's Life in Boston 38
From Anna Green Winslow's Diary, 1772 39
Benjamin Franklin: The First American 40
From The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, 1793 41
"What Then Is the American?" 43
From J. Hector St. Jean de Crèvecoeur's Letters from an American Farmer, c. 1782 43
PART III: Many People, Many Voices 45
Slavery on a Virginia Plantation 46
From Philip Vickers Fithian's Journal, 1773 47
A Traveler's View 48
From J. Hector St. Jean de Crevecoeur's Letters from an American Farmer, c. 1782 48
The Nightmare Atlantic Crossing 49
From Equiano's Travels, 1789 49
Growing Opposition to Slavery 50
A Slave's Epitaph, 1773 51
Thomas Jefferson's Dilemma 51
Jefferson's Ad for the Return of a Runaway, 1769 52
From Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia, 1784 52
From Jefferson's Letter to Frances Epps, 1787 53
First Encounters with Native Americans 53
From John White's Journals, 1585 54
The Story of a "White Indian" 55
From A Narrative of the Life of Mrs. Mary Jemison, 1824 55
Defending Diversity: Freedom of the Press and Speech 57
From Andrew Hamilton's Speech in the Trial of John Peter Zenger, 1735 59
PART IV: Prelude to Revolution 61
Patriots Protest a New Tax 62
From the Pennsylvania Journal and Weekly Advertiser, October 31, 1765 64
The Stamp Act Congress 65
From The Proceedings of the Congress, October 1765 65
The Beginning of a National Identity 66
From John Dickinson's Letters from a Pennsylvania Farmer, 1768 66
The Boston Massacre 67
From John Tudor's Diary, 1770 68
From Captain Thomas Preston's Letter to a Friend, 1770 68
The Boston Tea Party 71
From a Letter by John Andrews, 1773 71
From John Adams's Diary, 1773 72
"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" 72
From Patrick Henry's Speech to the Virginia Assembly, 1775 73
PART V: The American Revolution 75
"One If by Land, Two If by Sea" 76
From Paul Revere's Letter to Dr. Jeremy Belknap, 1798 77
The Battle of Lexington 78
From Ebenezer Munroe's Diary, 1775 78
The Battle of Concord 79
From Thomas Thorp's Journal, 1775 80
Washington Takes Charge 81
From the Military Journal of Dr. James Thacher, 1775 82
From George Washington's Letter to Martha Washington (Patsy), 1775 83
Letter from a Patriot 84
From Elizabeth Bartlett's Letter to a British Officer 84
A Patriot Marching Song 85
From "Yankee Doodle" 85
Deborah Champion's Ride 86
From Deborah Champion's Letter to a Friend, 1775 87
A Black Poet Writes of Freedom 88
From Phillis Wheatley's "To the Earl of Dartmouth . . . ," 1773 89
Declaring Independence 90
From Thomas Paine's Common Sense, 1776 90
Thirteen United States Declare Independence 92
From the Declaration of Independence, 1776 93
"We Must All Hang Together . . ." 95
From Dr. Benjamin Rush's Letter to John Adams, 1811 96
"Remember the Ladies" 97
From Abigail Adams's Letter to John Adams, March 31, 1776 98
From John Adams's Reply, April 14, 1776 99
The American Army and Militia 99
From Private Joseph Martin's Journal, 1776 100
Sergeant Smith's Turkey Prisoners 101
From Sergeant John Smith's Diary, 1776 101
The American Turtle 102
From Sergeant Ezra Lee's Letter to David Humphrey, 1776 102
"The Times That Try Men's Souls" 104
From Thomas Paine's The American Crisis, 1776 104
Washington's Christmas Surprise 105
From Colonel John Fitzgerald's Diary, 1776 105
Winter at Valley Forge 107
From the Diary of Dr. Albigence Waldo, 1777–1778 108
Benedict Arnold: "Treason of the Blackest Dye" 108
From General Nathaniel Greene's Announcement to the Continental Army, September 16, 1780 110
The Turn toward Victory 111
From James Collins's Journal, 1780 111
The Victory at Yorktown 113
From James Thacher's Journal, 1781 114
PART VI: Creating a National Government 115
What Form of Government? 116
From Abigail Adams's Letter to John Adams, 1776 116
Shays' Rebellion 117
From a Farmers' Petition to the State Government, Summer 1786 118
From an Interview in the Massachusetts Centinal, October 25, 1786 118
The Meeting of the Constitutional Convention 119
From Major William Pierce's Notes, 1787 119
Surviving Philadelphia's Summer 121
A French Visitor's Description of Philadelphia in Summer, 1787 122
The Constitution 122
From the Constitution, 1788 123
The Bill of Rights 126
The Bill of Rights, Amendments 1–10, 1791 127
Sources 129
Index 133
