The Thirteen Colonies Louis B Wright 9781542309585 Books
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If the origin of the colonial period was accidental, the ending was not. The representatives of the thirteen colonies who approved the Declaration of Independence in 1776 charted a collision course, aware of the obstacles in their path and the risks they were taking. The events that led to their decision took place over a period of nearly 300 years. Looking back, the wonder is that it culminated so quickly. For a century after its discovery, the New World was little more than a lode to be mined by adventurers seeking profits. It wasn’t until the end of the sixteenth century that serious efforts were made to establish permanent colonies. Even then, the perils of the journey and threats of starvation inhibited settlement. But settlers gradually came, spurred, in part, by the fear of religious persecution, but above all, drawn by the hope of owning land. They were a mixed lot English Separatists from Leiden, French Huguenots, Dutch burghers, Mennonite peasants from the Rhine Valley, and a few gentleman Anglicans. But they shared a quality of toughness. Here is their story from award-winning historian Louis B. Wright.
The Thirteen Colonies Louis B Wright 9781542309585 Books
I started out not liking this book. The narrative begins with the early voyages of exploration, and I thought I was supposed to be reading about the 13 colonies. Next it segued into the early settlements in North America, and again, I thought I was supposed to be reading about the colonies. Finally at about the middle of the book, it finally begins talking about Virginia, Massachusetts and all the usual suspects.=== The Good Stuff ===
* Until I got well into the book, I didn't appreciate what Louis Wright was really trying to accomplish. The original colonies were not creations of the British, the Pilgrims, the tobacco farmers or even the Dutch. Rather they were the next logical progression in a series of events that started with Columbus and ended on Lexington Green. Wright does a masterful job of teasing out the 1776 positions of the colonies based on the preceding 300 years.
* Because of the way Wright approaches the subject, it filled in a number of the spots I didn't know (and didn't even know I didn't know) about the Revolution. I had never quite appreciated just how vindictive the Pilgrims/Puritans could be, and it explained quite a bit about some of the early tensions between Massachusetts and the less religious colonies to the south.
* Wright spends a good amount of the book talking about religion, trade and customs policies, and the politics of Europe, the early colonies and even the Native Americans. All of these play a part in how the Revolution ultimately begins, and are a fascinating, if often overlooked, part of the story.
* Wright can be just a bit stuffy and longwinded at times, but the text is quite readable and is not full of the 500 word paragraphs and 20 letter words of "serious academic" writings. His facts seem well referenced, and his opinions are supported, if not proven conclusively, by the facts.
=== The Not-So-Good Stuff ===
* The book can get a little jumpy, and is written more in story lines than chronology. This makes some sense, but it is very easy to forget when and where you are in the midst of the text.
* The book ends too soon. The narrative pretty much comes to a sudden halt with the start of the Revolution. This is a pity, because some of the more interesting conflicts between the colonies happened after 1776, and Wright has done all the legwork to offer a unique viewpoint on the events of the Revolution.
=== Summary ===
I am a big fan of the history of the American Revolution, and it is not often that I read material on the subject that is genuinely new to me. This book passed that test, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in that particular strange time.
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Tags : The Thirteen Colonies [Louis B. Wright] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. If the origin of the colonial period was accidental, the ending was not. The representatives of the thirteen colonies who approved the Declaration of Independence in 1776 charted a collision course,Louis B. Wright,The Thirteen Colonies,CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform,1542309581,HISTORY United States Colonial Period (1600-1775)
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The Thirteen Colonies Louis B Wright 9781542309585 Books Reviews
Clear, accessible explanation of how the thirteen colonies developed distinct characteristics that were reflections of the culture, social agreements, and polity of the early founders. The concatenations of political events in Europe throughout the time from 1600 to 1774 echoed through the colonies, warping with their positional differences. Wright brings the inter-colony dynamics into bold relief and highlights the strong feelings of connection with England and a sense of pride in British citizenship that persisted into the 1760's. The culmination of dissatisfactions results in a break with England that comes almost as a surprise.
Good exposition on the interactions of the colonists with native Americans, as well as explanations of how and why some Indian nations took sides with the French and others with the English.
Treatment of slavery, though not extensive lays the groundwork for understanding how colonies could unite against a common opponent in England while difficulties with unresolved deep differences foreshadow the conflict of the Civil War some eighty-odd years later.
Exceptional book, one that helps immensely if you're trying to develop a more comprehensive understanding of how this country was formed and why we are who we are. Very well constructed and fully covers the who, why and when people began spreading from Europe and Africa. The book moves nicely from period to period, explaining the events that defined the colonies, that brought them together, caused conflict and eventually sewed them together as a nation. Read this book and you'll be better for it.
Excellent book on the discovery and founding of our country. I hated this stuff in 6th grade. Now that I'm nearly 68 years old, I love it and it is well presented in this book.
Very readable, very engaging, and remarkably thorough without being painstaking. Although a history minor in college, I must admit there was dim awareness for me of the long and dynamic period from Plymouth to Concord. Wright deals with all of the stages of exploration, starting in Europe and proceeding to the earliest exploration, exploitation, and settlement attempts. Wright took little knowledge of the period for granted and guides the reader smartly through the stages of colonial development, bringing the reader to the edge of the Revolutionary period. I learned a great deal in quick fashion thanks to Wright's skill in spinning a well-organized series of stories. Hopefully you aren't like me and imagined the colonial period was a series of Indian wars and gain-seeking European immigrants. Yes, there was plenty of that, but Wright gives a wonderfully more complete picture. Scholars may want more, but I found this an excellent volume to learn a great deal about this crucial period in the history of North America. Great value for the price!
The Thirteen Colonies gets 4 stars. Mr. Wright covers the subject well with interesting references. The writing being a bit dry at times and inclusion of a few too many literal quotes from texts (extended texts from 1400s-1500s writing can be a bit hard to decipher) prevents a 5th star.
The book provides background history from about the time of discovery of the New World up to the start of Revolutionary Way. This centers on New World Colonization challenges by Old World countries and interplay among the Old World Nations. Mr Wright blends political, religious, trade, financial, and personality issues into an interesting read. My only complaints is that a few more interesting personalities and side notes could have been added while removing some of the onerous quotes.
I started out not liking this book. The narrative begins with the early voyages of exploration, and I thought I was supposed to be reading about the 13 colonies. Next it segued into the early settlements in North America, and again, I thought I was supposed to be reading about the colonies. Finally at about the middle of the book, it finally begins talking about Virginia, Massachusetts and all the usual suspects.
=== The Good Stuff ===
* Until I got well into the book, I didn't appreciate what Louis Wright was really trying to accomplish. The original colonies were not creations of the British, the Pilgrims, the tobacco farmers or even the Dutch. Rather they were the next logical progression in a series of events that started with Columbus and ended on Lexington Green. Wright does a masterful job of teasing out the 1776 positions of the colonies based on the preceding 300 years.
* Because of the way Wright approaches the subject, it filled in a number of the spots I didn't know (and didn't even know I didn't know) about the Revolution. I had never quite appreciated just how vindictive the Pilgrims/Puritans could be, and it explained quite a bit about some of the early tensions between Massachusetts and the less religious colonies to the south.
* Wright spends a good amount of the book talking about religion, trade and customs policies, and the politics of Europe, the early colonies and even the Native Americans. All of these play a part in how the Revolution ultimately begins, and are a fascinating, if often overlooked, part of the story.
* Wright can be just a bit stuffy and longwinded at times, but the text is quite readable and is not full of the 500 word paragraphs and 20 letter words of "serious academic" writings. His facts seem well referenced, and his opinions are supported, if not proven conclusively, by the facts.
=== The Not-So-Good Stuff ===
* The book can get a little jumpy, and is written more in story lines than chronology. This makes some sense, but it is very easy to forget when and where you are in the midst of the text.
* The book ends too soon. The narrative pretty much comes to a sudden halt with the start of the Revolution. This is a pity, because some of the more interesting conflicts between the colonies happened after 1776, and Wright has done all the legwork to offer a unique viewpoint on the events of the Revolution.
=== Summary ===
I am a big fan of the history of the American Revolution, and it is not often that I read material on the subject that is genuinely new to me. This book passed that test, and I would recommend it to anyone with an interest in that particular strange time.
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