Chapter II: Preface

In preparing this sketch of the American colonies, I have had friendly encouragement and assistance from a number of men whose knowledge of the subject as a whole, or of certain aspects of it, is far more extensive and accurate than my own. I am particularly indebted to my colleagues in the University of Kansas, Professor F.H. Hodder and Professor W.W. Davis, who have read and criticized the manuscript chapter by chapter. The editor of the series has not only read the manuscript, but has put me in the way of much valuable material which I should otherwise have missed. Professor G.S. Ford and Professor Wallace Notestein, of the University of Minnesota, and Professor F.J. Turner, of Harvard University, have read portions of the manuscript. These good friends have saved me many minor errors and some serious blunders; and their cautions and suggestions have often enabled me to improve the work in form and arrangement, and in relative emphasis.

CARL BECKER.

CONTENTS

I. THE DISCOVERY OF THE OLD WORLD AND THE NEW 1

II. THE PARTITION OF THE NEW WORLD 30

III. THE ENGLISH MIGRATION IN THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURY 65

IV. ENGLAND AND HER COLONIES IN THE SEVENTEENTH
AND EIGHTEENTH CENTURIES 125

V. THE AMERICAN PEOPLE IN THE EIGHTEENTH CENTURY 161

VI. THE WINNING OF INDEPENDENCE 202

GENERAL BIBLIOGRAPHY 277

INDEX i

MAPS

_Facing_
SCHÖNER'S GLOBE, WITH MAGELLAN'S ROUTE AND
DEMARCATION LINE; DRAWN 1523 28

AREAS SETTLED BY 1660, AND BETWEEN 1660 AND
1700 134

GROWTH OF ENGLISH SETTLEMENTS, 1700-1760 178

AREA OF GERMAN SETTLEMENTS AND FRONTIER
LINE IN 1775 180

AREA OF SETTLEMENT IN 1774; BOUNDARY PROPOSED
BY SPAIN IN 1782; BOUNDARY SECURED
BY TREATY OF 1783; AND SETTLEMENTS WEST
OF ALLEGHANIES IN 1783 272

BEGINNINGS OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE