This encyclopedia, based on the latest research and with contributions by leading scholars, unfolds in 1500 entries the entire colonial period, from the earliest settlements in 1600 through the American Revolution to nationhood under the Articles of Confederation in 1781.

Revolutionary America, 1763 to 1800 covers what are perhaps the most momentous four decades in American history. During this period, the 13 colonies fought for and achieved independence, created a stable system of government, financed their first stock exchange and investment banks, expanded westward over the Appalachians, and defended their territory from covetous European nations. Through numerous statistical tables, charts, maps, photographs, and illustrations, this volume reveals the diverse aspects of everyday life in the early United States with topics ranging from rural marriage customs to early American medical practices to voting qualifications. Lively, informative essays connect and expand upon the statistical information. Both detailed and comprehensive, with a wealth of primary source material, Revolutionary America, 1763 to 1800 is the definitive source on the period for researcher and browser alike. The period documents excerpted in this volume reflect the tremendous influence that the Revolutionary War and frontier expansion had on the lives of most Americans at the time. They include the firsthand narratives of an Irish immigrant woman adopted by Indians, a Continental Army soldier from New England, a runaway slave, and a child raised on a wilderness farm. Special topics for this volume include: Native American life; government in each of the thirteen colonies, pre- and post-Revolution; and early American industry and trade.

Colonial and Revolutionary America takes a regional approach to understanding the peoples and colonies of early America. It places early America into an Atlantic and comparative context, with emphasis on the impact of trade, warfare, migration, and the vast cultural exchange that took place among American Indians, Africans, and Europeans. Political, social, economic, and cultural history are interwoven to provide a holistic picture that connects local developments to the larger historical forces that shaped the lives of all.

No era in American history has been more fascinating to Americans, or more critical to the ultimate destiny of the United States, than the colonial era. Between the time that the first European settlers established a colony at Jamestown in 1607 through the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the outlines of America's distinctive political culture, economic system, social life, and cultural patterns had begun to emerge. Designed to complement the high school American history curriculum as well as undergraduate survey courses, "Colonial America: An Encyclopedia of Social, Political, Cultural, and Economic History" captures it all: the people, institutions, ideas, and events of the first three hundred years of American history. While it focuses on the thirteen British colonies stretching along the Atlantic, Colonial America sets this history in its larger contexts. Entries also cover Canada, the American Southwest and Mexico, and the Caribbean and Atlantic world directly impacting the history of the thirteen colonies. This encyclopedia explores the complete early history of what would become the United States, including portraits of Native American life in the immediate pre-contact period, early Spanish exploration, and the first settlements by Spanish, French, Dutch, Swedish, and English colonists. This monumental five-volume set brings America's colonial heritage vibrantly to life for today's readers. It includes: thematic essays on major issues and topics; detailed A-Z entries on hundreds of people, institutions, events, and ideas; thematic and regional chronologies; hundreds of illustrations; primary documents; and a glossary and multiple indexes.

Contains entries that provide information about notable people, places, organizations, battles, and other events and topics in the history of Revolutionary America, covering a period that ranges from the French and Indian War in 1754 to the end of the War of 1812 in 1815.

This two-volume set brings to life the daily thoughts and routines of men and women—rich and poor, of various cultures, religions, races, and beliefs—during a time of great political, social, economic, and legal turmoil. What was life really like for ordinary people during the American Revolution? What did they eat, wear, believe in, and think about? What did they do for fun? This encyclopedia explores the lives of men, women, and children—of European, Native American, and African descent—through the window of social, cultural, and material history. The two-volume set spans the period from 1774 to 1800, drawing on the most current research to illuminate people's emotional lives, interactions, opinions, views, beliefs, and intimate relationships, as well as connections between the individual and the greater world. The encyclopedia features more than 200 entries divided into topical sections, each dealing with a different aspect of cultural life—for example, Arts, Food and Drink, and Politics and Warfare. Each section opens with an introductory essay, followed by A–Z entries on various aspects of the subject area. Sidebars and primary documents enhance the learning experience. Targeting high school and college students, the title supports the American history core curriculum and the current emphasis on social history. Most importantly, its focus on the realities of daily life, rather than on dates and battles, will help students identify with and learn about this formative period of American history.

This encyclopedia, to which many of the foremost scholars in the field have contributed, describes clearly and readably the many different ideas and events that constitute what we know as the American Revolution. Equally suitable for browsing and as a reference source, and illustrated with many paintings, drawings and documents of the period, this substantial volume is likely to remain a standard work on the subject for many years to come.