By examining the lives of the colonists through their own words--in diaries, letters, sermons, newspaper columns, and poems--Colonial America: A History in Documents, Second Edition, reveals how immigrants, despite their vast differences, laid the foundations for a new nation: the United States. One of the earliest documents is Sir Walter Raleigh's account of the failed colony at Roanoke, the first British settlement. The harrowing experiences of the first colonists are recorded in Captain John Smith's tale of an Indian attack. A Catawba Indian's letter to the governor of South Carolina describing a devastating smallpox epidemic is evidence of the even greater toll that war and illness had on the Native Americans. An exchange of letters between friends about choosing a husband provides insight into colonial family life. The title page of a book about evil spirits and a Mohawk Indian's telling of the creation myth demonstrate the diversity of colonial religious beliefs. A picture essay about the material world gathers objects ranging from military artifacts to fine furnishings to reveal how the colonies evolved from rough outposts to nearly independent states. Using such historical evidence, Colonial America provides a captivating look at the textured lives of the people who founded the United States.

The second edition includes a new chapter, "The Tumult of Empire," on the imperial tensions that erupted during this period and the internal strife within the colonies, as demonstrated in the violence by Bacon's Rebellion, Governor Andros's harsh rule over the Dominion of New England, and the overturning of provincial regimes in response to William and Mary's Glorious Revolution. Twenty-eight new visual documents enrich this edition, including a map of Native American villages, a proclamation on the destruction of forests, and hippopotamus hide whips used on slaves. Additional updates include ten new sidebars, a new note on sources and interpretation, and revised further reading and website recommendations.