A Short History of the English Colonies in America

"Who and what the people were who fought the war for Independence and founded the United States – what was their life, what their habits, thoughts, and manners – seemed to me, when I began my study of American history, questions of the deepest interest. They were questions, too, which appeared to me never to have been answered in a compact and comprehensive form; and this volume is an attempt to supply the deficiency. The chapters, therefore, which purport to describe the various colonies in and about the year 1765 represent the purpose of the book. ...I felt that it was essential to my purpose to give an outline of the political history of each colony, in order to present a complete picture of the various communities. These sketches are as condensed as I could make them, although they have run to a far greater length than I hoped would be necessary. They make absolutely no pretence to original research, but are merely my own presentation of facts which ought to be familiar to every one. The question of arrangement was not an easy one where thirteen distinct histories were involved; but, after much reflection, I decided to deal with each colony by itself, and give its complete history down to the year 1765... The three concluding chapters are added, like those which treat of the political history of each colony, merely for the sake of completeness, and aim only to be a concise outline of the events which resulted in national existence." - Henry Cabot Lodge

Contents: Virginia from 1606 to 1765. Virginia in 1765. Maryland from 1632 to 1765. Maryland in 1765. North Carolina from 1663 to 1765. North Carolina in 1765. South Carolina from 1663 to 1765. South Carolina in 1765. Georgia from 1732 to 1765. Georgia in 1765. Delaware from 1609 to 1682. Pennsylvania from 1681 to 1765. Pennsylvania and Delaware, 1765. New Jersey from 1664 to 1765. New Jersey in 1765. New York from 1609 to 1765. New York in 1765. Massachusetts from 1620 to 1765. Connecticut from 1635 to 1765. Rhode Island from 1636 to 1765. New Hampshire from 1623 to 1765. New England in 1765. Preparing for Revolution: from 1765 to 1776. The War for Independence: from 1776 to 1782. Peace: 1782.