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Overview
Compiled in response to emerging transnational perspectives in American Studies, this comprehensive and imaginative anthology brings together a rich variety of works of colonial literature from across the Americas, covering the period from first contact, through to settlement and the emergence of national identities, with an emphasis on the American Revolutionary period.
Synopsis
This anthology presents selections from the literature of colonial America with an emphasis on the American Revolutionary period and writings by women. Genres include, for example, travel accounts, letters, poetry, oral narratives, and journal entries. In addition to texts by English colonials, the volume features writings by Native Americans, Portuguese, Spanish, German, Dutch, and French authors. Most of the texts are presented in their original form from first editions. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Library Journal
Readers whose study of the English colonization of America took the form of a college survey using an anthology that began with William Bradford's Of Plymouth Plantation (1630-50) will perhaps be surprised and surely gratified that this generous new anthology contains ample evidence that other nations were also colonizing the continent and that the Native American population was not averse to reacting loudly and eloquently to what were, for them, disastrous consequences. This collection is divided into three sections: "Exploration and Contact to 1600," "New World Identities: Exploration and Settlement to 1700," and "The Eighteenth Century." Except for a handful of familiar English-speaking writers (Anne Bradstreet, Jonathan Edwards, Ben Franklin, etc.), the writers here are new to most anthologies. Together they correct our view of early America, revealing its cultural diversity and laying bare the nearly universal greed that motivated the era's colonizing efforts. Essential for all libraries. Charles C. Nash, Cottey Coll., Nevada, MO Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.
Editorials
From the Publisher
"This is that rare thing, a landmark anthology. Susan Castillo and Ivy Schweitxer reconstruct our view of early American writing and, in the process, make a significant contribution to the rewriting of American literary history. Shifting the critical paradigms as it does, while providing a rich diversity of material, this will undoubtedly be an indispensable resource for students of American literature and history. It will also prove invaluable for anyone wanting to know more about the Americas before the arrival of Europeans, the conflicts and legacy of the colonial period, and the founding of the American nation."
Richard Gray, Professor of Literature at the University of Essex, Editor of the Journal of American Studies, and a Fellow of the British Academy and Editorial Adviser for the Blackwell Anthologies.
"...our students should, like us, be grateful that such a valuable resource is also so affordable." Journal of American Studies 2002
"What [...] impresses me is the lightness of touch in the editorial matter that almost belies the amount of synthesis of scholarly materials involving such producing such informative and eloquent introductions. The result is a genuinely accessible compilation of some familiar, canonical texts and a fascinating range of other literary documents." Journal of American Studies 2003