![]() ![]() European colonists, Indians, and Africans regularly interacted with, changed, and adapted to each other, creating a complex composite culture which Taylor marks as the true measure of American distinctiveness. These regions, however, did not operate independently. ![]() Arranged in chronological order, 19 chapters serve as case studies for the process of colonization in different regions. In calling his book American Colonies rather than, say, Colonial America, he signals his intent to present the continent’s colonial history rather than the history of the English.Īmerican Colonies focuses primarily on the process of colonization: the introduction of new ideas, peoples, religions, cultures, technologies, even microbes, and the reactions that resulted. Traditionally colonial narratives concentrate on the English colonies that became the first 13 states, but Taylor rejects this Anglocentrism. This inclusivity reflects Taylor’s primary goal of presenting a pluralistic history. American Colonies covers a broader temporal and geographical range than most works of its kind, spanning from the earliest Paleolithic settlements in North America in 15,000 BCE to 19th century exploration of the Pacific. ![]() Taylor aims to expand, enrich, and complicate our understanding of this period. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |