This book is chock full of eye-opening insights about our American ancestors. First, they were generally an 'equal society' because most of the immigrants were from the middle or lower-middle class. Most were not farmers but were urbanites (most were from London) and artisans or craftsmen.
No matter why they had immigrated, the new settlers had one goal, to recreate their lives as Englishmen. However, there were three new circumstances that called for new behaviors: trees (England was almost bereft of trees and America had huge forests), countless streams and rivers (which allowed the settlers to disperse widely) and almost limitless land (places to roam).
In England, villages provided a wealth of workers and artisans who joined each other in church each week. In America, however, those villages were left behind as immigrants created farms, that required farmers to become able to do many tasks themselves.
For a highly readable explanation of the many, many factors that affected the new immigrants, this is the book to read. Excellent.
No matter why they had immigrated, the new settlers had one goal, to recreate their lives as Englishmen. However, there were three new circumstances that called for new behaviors: trees (England was almost bereft of trees and America had huge forests), countless streams and rivers (which allowed the settlers to disperse widely) and almost limitless land (places to roam).
In England, villages provided a wealth of workers and artisans who joined each other in church each week. In America, however, those villages were left behind as immigrants created farms, that required farmers to become able to do many tasks themselves.
For a highly readable explanation of the many, many factors that affected the new immigrants, this is the book to read. Excellent.
