A detailed history of how the English got a foothold in North America, from Gilbert and Raleigh’s failed ventures to the founding and grim early years of Virginia, the Catholic colony of Maryland, the Pilgrims at Plymouth and the rise of Massachusetts, with maps of the settlements. Tyler, president of William and Mary, covers social and economic life alongside politics.
A solid scholarly account from the American Nation series, still useful for anyone studying the earliest colonies. Download the free EPUB.