David Freeman Hawke's "Everyday Life in Early America" gets high marks for readability but I'm left merely with an impression of the times and no hard solid facts or information.
When the English arrived in America, the goal of the crown was to supplement the economic needs of a home country even if the land and settler's needs didn not support it. After an initial attempt (as would seem natural) to replicate the world they left behind, the settlers adjusted their buildings, diet, and practices to fit a new environment and emerged as Americans.
While this book was a breeze to read, it's not memorable and I'm not sure I really learned anything significant. More interesting and useful was "The Planters of Colonial Virginia" to be discussed next.
4 comments:
A similar thing happened with the English when they colonised Australia. Talk about a different environment! I like the painting on the cover.
My grandmother used to have four paintings like the one on the cover. Each painting was the same farm during a different season. What is this style of art called? Naive?
Yes, that's it, I think. Are the paintings still in the family?
I haven't seen them recently. Most of my grandmother's furniture passed on to my aunt and cousins who are in Tennessee. It was easiest that way. My aunt's house was flooded about two years ago and a good many things were lost. I was in Tennessee about a month ago and don't remember seeing them. I'll have to call and ask. (I have a post to write about my recent trip.)
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