Colonial America | portfolio

Colonial America -- From Jamestown to the French and Indian War

Colonial America has always been my favorite period of American history. As an undergraduate history major, I was captivated by the remarkable story of how a handful of struggling settlements clinging to the Atlantic coastline evolved into thirteen prosperous colonies confident enough to challenge the most powerful empire on Earth. It is a story filled with courage, hardship, faith, perseverance, good fortune, tragic misunderstandings, and more than a few astonishing twists of fate.

The articles in this collection follow that transformation from its uncertain beginnings. We'll visit Jamestown as England struggled to establish its first permanent foothold in North America, accompany the Pilgrims on their search for religious freedom, and watch the tiny Plymouth Colony survive through determination and the generosity of its Wampanoag neighbors. Along the way we'll separate history from folklore, meet colorful characters such as William Bradford and Squanto, and even relive the adventures of the little ship Sparrow-Hawk and its unexpected visit to Plymouth.

As the colonies mature, the story becomes larger than individual settlements. We'll see bustling seaports emerge, representative government take root, commerce flourish, and a distinctly American identity begin to develop during Britain's long period of salutary neglect. That peaceful growth, however, carried within it the seeds of future conflict.

The series concludes with the French and Indian War, the pivotal struggle that transformed Britain's relationship with its American colonies. Few people at the time realized that Britain's greatest military victory in North America would ultimately become the first step toward the American Revolution. Understanding that remarkable chain of events helps explain not only how the United States was born, but why.

History is often remembered through great battles and famous leaders. Yet Colonial America reminds us that nations are first built by ordinary people—farmers, merchants, craftsmen, sailors, ministers, mothers, and children—whose daily perseverance quietly shapes the future. Their story is every bit as fascinating as the Revolution that followed, and I hope these articles help bring that remarkable era to life.