ECON 113 Chapter 1: Colonial America by Alan Tyalor
Document Summary
Atlantic historians : examine the interdependence of europe, africa, and the americas through the transatlantic flow of goods, people, plants, animals, capital and ideas. Continental historians : seek to restore the importance of native peoples to the colonial story. Story of american exceptionalism*: regular english colonists escape rigid customs and social hierarchies discovered abundant land of opportunity prospered by working hard to start farms became entrepreneurial & egalitarian created a uniquely middle-class society and democracy. * this selective story ignores the reality of colonization: e. g. thousands of colonists died due to agricultural ignorance, inability to fight against native americans. Those who succeeded often stole land from the natives and exploited the labor of indentured servants & african slaves. The land was characterized by war, disease and slavery. First settlement of north american began 15-20,000 years ago from siberia in northeast. Asia over the bering strait in small nomadic groups.
