The Beginnings of America, 1607-1763

VOICES FROM AMERICA’S PAST
Edited by Richard B. Morris Gouverneur Morris Professor of History Columbia University New York, New York
James Woodress Chairman, Department of English San Fernando Valley State College Northridge, California
WEBSTER PUBLISHING COMPANY ST. LOUIS ATLANTA DALLAS PASADENA
VOICES FROM AMERICA’S PAST The Beginnings of America 1607-1763 The Times That Tried Men’s Souls 1770-1783 The Age of Washington 1783-1801 The Jeffersonians 1801-1829 Jacksonian Democracy 1829-1848 The Westward Movement 1832-1889 A House Divided: The Civil War 1850-1865 ( Other titles in preparation )
Copyright ©, 1961, by Webster Publishing Company Printed in the United States of America All rights reserved
The seventeenth century in America was the seedtime of colonization. For 115 years after Columbus discovered America, explorers sailed the western waters, and the nations of Europe staked out vast empires. England launched several successful attempts to plant colonies in what is now the United States. In the years following the landing at Jamestown in 1607, England laid the foundation for her extensive colonial system in North America. From these scattered colonies a nation grew, but a long time passed before the colonies became states and the states became a nation.
The English colonization of North America did not suffer for want of reporters to describe it. The people who took part in the enterprise wrote a great deal about their experiences. Governor Bradford of Plymouth wrote a history to preserve a record of the colony’s early days. Captain John Smith of Virginia wrote pamphlets to satisfy the curiosity of folks back home who might want to come to the New World. Many of these works were printed immediately; others remained in manuscript until our day.
Not only the leaders of the colonies wrote of their deeds. Ordinary people also sent letters home to England and kept diaries for their personal satisfaction. All in all, the United States had her beginnings amid ample publicity. We are grateful to these people for preserving records of the early days, for through their efforts we can get a first-hand idea of colonial times. We don’t have to guess about the events that took place in America three hundred years ago. Of course, we don’t have nearly as many documents as we could wish for, but we do have plenty of records to draw upon.