Handbook

This topic examines the history of the British North American colonies from their establishment to the American Revolution and its immediate aftermath. The topic will explore various central themes: the importance of the American colonies within the British Empire and the broader European imperial project; the creation of the Atlantic World that had major political, social, economic and intellectual consequences for the modern world; the experiences of migrants to the Americas and the worlds they made; the encounters and conflicts between indigenous Americans and the newcomers; the development of Atlantic slavery and the experiences of slaves in the colonies; and the story of the growth of colonial independence and the consequent American Revolution and its impact. This topic will give students a good understanding of the history of the American colonies and the importance of their story in the making of the modern United States and the modern world.