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Full Description
"Thoroughly researched, clearly written, and eye-opening in major and minor ways, this book will be valuable not only to academics but to all readers." —Library Journal
This book provides the essential, primary documentation needed to clarify, readjust, and, in some cases, destroy the many commonly held myths of America's colonial past.
America's past is in many respects misunderstood and distorted. Misconceptions abound about Columbus and his discovery; Jamestown, John Smith, and Pocahontas; the Salem Witch Trials; and even the American Revolution. What is often lacking in texts on these events and people is a narrative with a solid underpinning of primary sources that clearly explains how misconceptions began, how they were perpetuated, and finally how they made their way into contemporary American popular culture.
Colonial America: Facts and Fictions separates myth from reality. The authors explore 10 popular myths about the period, each of which is examined in terms of its origin and how it became ensconced in American memory. It uses primary sources to explain the evolution of the myths and to inform readers about what actually happened. This book explains all of this, and most importantly exposes the modern reader to those essential primary source documents that clarify the distortions and disprove the popular misconceptions of the past.
Contents
Preface
Introduction
Myth 1. Columbus Was the First European to Discover the Western Hemisphere
Myth 2. Captain John Smith and Pocahontas Had a Romantic Relationship
Myth 3. Puritans and Pilgrims Are the Same People
Myth 4. The First Thanksgiving Was a Shared Harvest Celebration
Myth 5. Manhattan Island Was Purchased for $24
Myth 6. Witches Were Burned in Salem
Myth 7. The Boston Tea Party Participants Threw Chests of Tea into the Sea to Hurt the British
Myth 8. The American Revolution Was Fought by United Patriots against an Evil Oppressor
Myth 9. Paul Revere Completed His Famous Ride Alone
Myth 10. George Washington Had Wooden Teeth
Bibliography
Index
