1600s Resources for Colonial America from Inquiry Unlimited practitioner formerly sited at Boston KidWeb at Joseph Lee School, Boston, MA

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1600s Resources for Colonial AmericaInquiry Unlimited's classroom application: Teaching American History

Adams, Patricia. The Story of Pocahontas, Indian Princess . Milwaukee: Gareth Stevens Pub., 1996. - A biography of the seventeenth-century Indian princess who befriended Captain John Smith and the English settlers of Jamestown.
Anderson, Joan. The First Thanksgiving. NY: Clarion Books, 1984. (48 ps) - Recreates the first harvest feast celebrated by the Pilgrims in 1621 using the Pilgrim and Indian actors and the seventeenth-century setting of Plimoth Plantation, a living history museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts.
Averill, Esther Holden. King Philip, the Indian Chief. Hamden, CT: Linnet Books, 1993. (147 ps) - A sympathetic portrait of King Philip, the Wampanoag sachem that mounted an uprising against the colonial settlers trying to take his people's land.
Avi. Finding Providence: The Story of Roger Williams. NY: Harper Trophy, 1997. (46 ps.) - After being forced to leave the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Roger Williams travels south and, with the help of the Narragansett Indians, founds Providence, Rhode Island.
Bowen, Gary. Stranded at Plimoth Plantation, 1626. NY: Harper Collins, 1994. (81 ps.)
Boynton, Alice Benjamin. Priscilla Alden and the First Thanksgiving. Englewood Cliffs, NJ : Silver Press, c1990. - Describes how Priscilla Alden came to the New World with the other Pilgrims, helped settle the colony of New Plymouth, and celebrated the first Thanksgiving.
Bradford, William. Mourt's Relation. Homes in the Wilderness: A Pilgrim's Journal of Plymouth in 1620. Hamden, CT: Linnett Books, 1988. (74 ps) - A modern translation of the journal kept by Governor William Bradford and others of the Mayflower company describing the landing of the Pilgrims on Cape Cod, their search for a homesite, the first meetings with Indians, and the final building of the settlement at Plymouth.
Brown, Gene. Discovery and Settlement: Europe Meets the "New World", 1490-1700. NY: Twenty-First Century Books, 1993.- Presents primary source materials related to the discovery and settlement of America and daily life in the colonies, including the experiences of Native Americans, African Americans, and women.
Bruchac, Joseph. Squanto's Journey: The Story of The First Thanksgiving. - Squanto recounts how in 1614 he was captured by the British, sold into slavery in Spain, and ultimately returned to the New World to become a guide and friend for the colonists.
Celsi, Teresa. Squanto and the First Thanksgiving. Milwaukee: Raintree Publishers, 1989. - A simple biography of the Wampanoag Indian who helped the Pilgrims survive in their early days in the Plymouth colony.
Collier, Christopher and James. Clash of Cultures: Prehistory-1638. NY: Benchmark Books, 1998. - Includes bibliographical references and index.
Collier, Christopher and James. The French and Indian War, 1660 - 1763. NY: Benchmark Books, 1998. - Includes bibliographical references and index.
Collier, Christopher and Lincoln, James. Pilgrims and Puritans, 1620 – 1676. NY: Benchmark Books, 1998. - Recounts the religious, political, and social history of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and its influence on our lives today.
Cwiklik, Robert. King Philip and the War with the Colonists. Englewood Cliffs, N.J. : Silver Burdett, 1989. (131 ps) - Examines the life and fortunes of the Wampanoag Indian leader who led an uprising against the New England colonists in the seventeenth century.
Dalgliesh, Alice. The Courage of Sarah Noble. NY: Scribner, [1986], 1954. (52 ps) - Remembering her mother's words, an eight-year-old girl finds courage to go alone with her father to build a new home in the Connecticut wilderness and to stay with the Indians when her father goes back to bring the rest of the family.
Doherty, Katherine. The Wampanoag. New York: Franklin Watts, 1995. (63 ps.)
Doherty, Kieran. William Bradford: Rock of Plymouth. Brookfield, Conn.: Twenty-First Century Books, 1999. - A biography of one of the founders of the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts and a history of the Pilgrims' difficult times during their early years in the New World.
Dubowski, Cathy East. The Story of Squanto: First Friend to the Pilgrims. Milwaukee, WI: Gareth Stevens Pub., 1997. - Describes how Squanto played an important role in making peace between his fellow Native Americans and the settlers at Plymouth, so that they could share the first feast of Thanksgiving.
Egger-Bovet, Howard. US Kids. Book of American Colonies. Boston, MA: Little, Brown, 1996. (95 ps) - Discusses the reasons Europeans settled in America, the growth of the original colonies, and the reaction to the newcomers of the people already living in the "New World."
Erdosh, George. Food and Recipes of the Pilgrims. NY: PowerKids Press, 1997. (24 ps.) - Describes the kinds of foods grown and prepared by the Pilgrims during their first years in America, and their dependence upon Native people to ward off starvation. Includes recipes.
Flanagan, Alice. The Wampanoags. NY: Children's Press, 1998. (47 ps.) - Presents the cultural, social, and historical achievements of the Wampanoags.
Fleischman, Paul. Saturnalia. NY: Harper & Row, 1990. (113 ps) - In 1681 in Boston, 14-year-old William, a captured Indian, serves as a printer's apprentice but also desires to explore his Indian past.
Fradin, Dennis. Anne Hutchinson: Fighter for Religious Freedom. Hillside, NJ: Enslow Publishers, c1990. (48 ps.) - Recounts the story of the Puritan woman who was banished from her colony for being outspoken against the religious leaders there.
Fradin, Dennis. The Connecticut Colony. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1990. (159 ps) - Surveys the history of the colony of Connecticut from its early days up through the American Revolution. Includes biographical sketches of prominent individuals.
Fradin, Dennis. The Georgia Colony. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1990. (143 ps) - A historical account of Georgia's early days, from its creation as a colony for debtors in the 1700's until its admission as the fourth state in 1788.
Fradin, Dennis. King Philip: Indian Leader. Hillside, NJ: Enslow Pub, 1990. (48 ps.) - Recounts the story of the Wampanoag Indian leader who led an uprising against the New England colonists in the seventeenth century.
Fradin, Dennis. The Maryland Colony. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1990. (159 ps) - Examines the history of Maryland, from its colonization by England to the early years of its statehood. Includes brief biographical sketches of key figures.
Fradin, Dennis. The Massachusetts Colony. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1987. (159 ps) - A history of the colony, which began with the settling of the Pilgrims in Plymouth, until its becoming the sixth state of the Union. Includes brief biographies of notable colonial-era people.
Fradin, Dennis. The Pennsylvania Colony. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1988. (160 ps) - A history of the colony of Pennsylvania, from the time of the earliest European settlers to the aftermath of the battle for independence that resulted in statehood. Includes biographical sketches of some individuals prominent in Pennsylvania history.
Fradin, Dennis. Thanksgiving Day. Hillside, NJ: Enslow Publishers, 1990. (48 ps) - Describes the historic events that shaped this national day of thanks and details the various ways it is celebrated.
Fradin, Dennis. The Virginia Colony. Chicago: Childrens Press, c1986. (158 ps) - Presents the history, economy, culture, and people of the Virginia colony from the early Indian settlements to the Revolution. Includes brief biographies of prominent Virginians of the period from Powhatan to Thomas Jefferson and Henry Lee.
Fritz, Jean. The Cabin Faced West. NY: Puffin Books, 1987, 1958. (124 ps) - Ten-year-old Ann overcomes loneliness and learns to appreciate the importance of her role in settling the wilderness of western Pennsylvania.
George, Jean Craighead. The First Thanksgiving. NY: PaperStar, 1996. (32 ps) - Describes how the colonists aboard the Mayflower founded New Plymouth and celebrated their first harvest with a feast of thanksgiving.
Gibbons, Gail. Thanksgiving Day. NY: Holiday House, 1983. (32 ps) - Presents information about the first Thanksgiving and the way that holiday is celebrated today.
Gleiter, Jan and Thompson, Kathleen. Pocahontas. Milwaukee: Raintree Childrens Books, 1985. - A biography of the Powhatan Indian woman who befriended the English settlers at Jamestown, Virginia, and helped maintain peace between her tribe and the colonists.
Graves, Charles. John Smith. NY: Chelsea House Publishers, 1991. - Reprint. Originally published: A world explorer--John Smith. Champaign, Ill.: Garrard Pub. Co., 1965. Originally published in series: World explorer books.
Grote, JoAnn. Danger in the Harbor. Philadelphia: Chelsea House, 1999. (137 ps.) - When Queen Anne's War leaves Boston with major problems such as food shortages and riots, ten-year-old Beth and her family struggle to survive peacefully.
Hakim, Joy. Making Thirteen Colonies. NY: Oxford University Press, 1993. (160 ps) - Presents the history of the United States from the colonization of the New World through the middle of the eighteenth century.
Hale, Anna. The Mayflower People: Triumphs and Tragedies. Tucson: Harbinger House, 1995. (93 ps.) - Recreates the voyage of the Mayflower and the experiences of the New Plymouth colonists after they landed, based on journals, letters, and other contemporary reports.
Harness, Cheryl. Three Young Pilgrims. NY: Bradbury Press, 1992. (unp) - Mary, Remember, and Bartholomew are among the pilgrims who survive the harsh early years in America and see New Plymouth grow into a prosperous colony.
Harrah, Madge. My Brother, My Enemy. NY: Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 1997. - Determined to avenge the massacre of his family, fourteen-year-old Robert Bradford joins Nathaniel Bacon's rebel army in hopes of wiping out the Susquehannock Indians of Virginia.
Hayward, Linda. The First Thanksgiving. New York: Random House, 1990. - Describes how the first Thanksgiving celebration came to be.
Hermes, Patricia. Our Strange New Land: Elizabeth's Diary. NY: Scholastic, 2000. - Nine-year-old Elizabeth keeps a journal of her experiences in the New World as she encounters Indians, suffers hunger and the death of friends, and helps her father build their first home.
Holmes, Andy. Pocahontas: The True Story of an American Hero and Her Christian Faith. NY: Little Moorings, 1995. (29 ps.) - Fictionalized account of the life of Pocahontas up to the time of her marriage to John Rolfe, emphasizing her interest in and conversion to the Christian faith.
Hooks, William. The Legend of the White Doe. NY: Macmillan Pub., 1988. (44 ps) - After the destruction of the English colony on Roanoke Island by hostile Indians forces the survivors to live with a friendly tribe, Virginia Dare finds her first love coming to a tragic and supernatural end.
Ichord, Loretta. Hasty Pudding, Johnnycakes, and other Good Stuff: Cooking in Colonial America. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 1998. (63 ps.) - Presents colonial food preparation with a look at the influences of available ingredients, cooking methods, and equipment. Includes recipes and appendix of classroom cooking directions.
Isaacs, Sally Senzell. America in the Time of Pocahontas, 1590 to 1754. Des Plaines, Ill.: Heinemann Library, 1998. (48 ps.) - Uses the life of Pocahontas as a reference to examine the history of the United States from 1590 to 1754, including early European settlers, their battles with the Native Americans, daily life in the new colonies, slavery, and the growing troubles with England.
Jemison, Mary. In My Own Words: The Diary of Mary Jemison, Captured by Indians. NY: Benchmark Books, 2000. (edited by Peter and Connie Roop) - The experiences, based on her own account, of Mary Jemison who was captured by a Shawnee war party when she was twelve and subsequently rescued and adopted by the Seneca with whom she chose to remain the rest of her long life.
Kamensky, Jane. The Colonial Mosaic: American Women 1600-1760. NY: Oxford University Press, 1995. - Uses personal stories and primary source material to focus on the changes in the lives of American women of all ethnic and economic backgrounds and to discuss the variety and importance of their experiences.
Katz, William Loren. Exploration to the War of 1812, 1492-1814. Austin, TX: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993. (96 ps.) - A multicultural history of the United States, from the discovery of America through the War of 1812, discussing the experiences of various ethnic groups during this period.
Kent, Deborah. Salem, Massachusetts. Parsippany, N.J.: Dillon Press, c1996. - Life in Salem during the time of the witch trials.
Kessel, Joyce. Squanto and the First Thanksgiving. Minneapolis: Carolrhoda Books, 1983. (47 ps) - Describes how the Indian Squanto, an English-speaking Christian and former slave, whose village had been wiped out by smallpox, taught the Pilgrims the skills they needed to survive the harsh Massachusetts winter.
Koller, Jackie French. Nickommoh! A Thanksgiving Celebration. NY: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1999. - Describes a typical Narragansett Nickommoh, or harvest celebration, as it has been performed since before the arrival of the first Pilgrims in New England.
Koller, Jackie French. The Primrose Way. San Diego: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich, 1992. - A recent arrival to the New World in 1633, sixteen-year-old Rebekah, a missionary's daughter, befriends a Native American woman and begins to question whether these "savages" need saving after all.
Kroll, Steven. William Penn, Founder of Pennsylvania. NY: Holiday House, 2000. - A biography of William Penn, founder of the Quaker colony of Pennsylvania, who struggled throughout his life for the freedom to practice his religion.
Lawlor, Laurie. Voyage to a Free Land, 1630. NY: Pocket Books, 2001, c1999. (178 ps.) - Puritans on the Arbella emigrate to America.
Levitin, Sonia. Roanoke: A Novel of the Lost Colony. NY: Atheneum, 1973. (213 ps.) An English youth and an Indian girl are caught up in the events leading to the mysterious disappearance of the colony at Roanoke Island.
Lund, Bill. The Wampanoag Indians. Mankato, MN: Bridgestone Books, 1998. (24 ps) Provides an overview of the past and present lives of the Wampanoag Indians, covering their daily life, customs, relations with the government and others, and more.
Maestro, Betsy and Giulio. Exploration and Conquest: The Americas After Columbus, 1500-1620. NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1994. Traces the competition among the American Indians, French, English, Spanish, and Dutch for land, furs, timber, and other resources of North America.
Maestro, Betsy and Giulio. The New Americans: Colonial Times, 1620-1689. NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books, 1998. Traces the competition among the American Indians, French, English, Spanish, and Dutch for land, furs, timber, and other resources of North America.
Masoff, Joy. Colonial Times, 1600-1700. NY: Scholastic Reference, 2000. Re-creates early American settlements by describing in words and pictures various aspects of the colonists' lives including work, food, clothing, shelter, religion, and relationships with Native Americans.
O'Dell, Scott. The Serpent Never Sleeps: A Novel of Jamestown and Pocahontas. NY: Ballantine, 1989, 1987. (183 ps.) In the early seventeenth century, Serena Lynn, determined to be with the man she has loved since childhood, travels to the New World and comes to know the hardships of colonial life and the extraordinary Princess Pocahontas.
Penner, Lucille Recht. The Pilgrims at Plymouth. NY: Random House, 1996.
Raphael, Elaine and Bolognese, Don. The Story of the First Thanksgiving. NY: Scholastic, 1991. (unp) Presents the story of the first Thanksgiving as celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. Includes a drawing activity section at the end of the book.
Reische, Diana. Founding the American Colonies. NY: F. Watts, 1989. (64 ps.) Describes the founding, problems, and social and economic survival of the original thirteen American colonies.
Roop, Peter and Roop, Connie. Ahyoka and the Talking Leaves. NY: Lothrop, Lee & Shepard, 1992. Ahyoka helps her father Sequoyah in his quest to create a writing for his people.
Roop, Peter, and Roop, Connie. Pilgrim Voices: Our First Year in the New World. NY: Walker and Co., 1995. Presents the story of the first Thanksgiving as celebrated by the Pilgrims and the Wampanoag Indians. Includes a drawing activity section at the end of the book.
Sakurai, Gail. The Jamestown Colony. NY: Children's Press, 1997. An account of the first permanent English settlement in North America, with all its tragedies and disasters, established in 1607 in Jamestown, Virginia.
San Souci, Robert D. N. C. Wyeth's Pilgrims. San Francisco: Chronicle Books, 1991. (40 ps) Recounts the coming of the Pilgrims to America, with illustrations by N.C. Wyeth.
Schneider, Paul. The Enduring Shore: A History of Cape Cod, Martha's Vineyard, and Nantucket. New York: Henry Holt and Company, 2000.
Sewall, Marcia. People of the Breaking Day. NY: Atheneum, 1990. (48 ps.) A poetic evocation of the lifestyle and traditional beliefs of the Wampanoag Indians.
Sewall, Marcia. Thunder From the Clear Sky. New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 1995. (48 ps.) In Plimoth, Massachusetts, the Wampanoags interacted.
Siegel, Beatrice. Fur Trappers and Traders: The Indians, the Pilgrims, and the Beaver. NY: Walker, 1981. (64 ps) Describes the early fur trade in the New World and discusses its influence on North American history.
Slavicek, Louise Chipley. Life Among the Puritans. San Diego, CA: Lucent Books, 2001. Summary: Coming to the New World, creating a society.
Smith, C. Carter. Battles in a New Land: A Sourcebook on Colonial America. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 1991. (96 ps) Describes and illustrates through contemporary images the struggles and conflicts between the European colonizers in America as each group sought to dominate the rich New World.
Smith, C. Carter. The Explorers and Settlers: A Sourcebook on Colonial America. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook Press, 1991. (96 ps) Describes and illustrates the first discoveries and settlements in North America through a variety of images produced at that time.
Stamper, Judith. New Friends in a New Land: A Thanksgiving Story. Austin, Tex.: Raintree Steck-Vaughn, 1993. Describes the Pilgrims' first years in Plymouth and the first Thanksgiving.
Stein, Conrad. The Pilgrims. Chicago: Childrens Press, 1995. (30 ps.) The Pilgrims in Plymouth in 1620.
Wade, Linda. Plymouth: Pilgrim's Story of Survival. Vero Beach, Fla.: Rourke Enterprises. 1991. (48 ps.)
Washburne, Carolyn Kott. Colonial Life. NY: Marshall Cavendish, 1994. (80 ps.) Describes colonial history from the point of view of minorities and women.
Waters, Kate. Mary Geddy's Day A Day In Colonial Williamsburg. New York: Scholastic, 1996. (40 pages) Colonial Williamsburg through the daily life of a girl.
Waters, Kate. On the Mayflower. Voyage of the Ship's Apprentice & A Passenger Girl. New York: Scholastic, 1996. (40 pages) A twelve-year old apprentice and a seven-year old passenger experience the first voyage of the Mayflower.
Waters, Kate. Pilgrims of Plimoth. New York: Atheneum, 1986. (48 pages) Chronicles, in text and illustrations, the day-to-day life of the early Pilgrims in the Plimouth Colony.
Waters, Kate. Samuel Eaton's Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Boy. New York: Scholastic, 1993. (40 pages) Text and photographs follow a six-year-old Pilgrim boy through a busy day during the spring harvest in 1627: doing chores, getting to know his Wampanoag Indian neighbors, and spending time with his family.
Waters, Kate. Tapenum's Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times. New York: Scholastic, 1996. (39 pages) Text and photographs of Wampanoag's daily life.
Wilbur, C. Keith. The New England Indians. Chester, Conn.: Globe Pequot Press, 1978. (123 ps.) Examines the culture and history of those Indian tribes that lived in pre-colonial New England.
Wilson, Lori Lee. The Salem Witch Trials. Minneapolis: Lerner Pub. Co., 1997. (112 ps.) Discusses the witchcraft trials in Salem in 1692, the events leading up to them, and how the trials have been viewed by different historians since then.
Wood, Peter H. Strange New Land: African Americans, 1617-1776. NY: Oxford University Press, 1996. Discusses the lives of blacks in the American colonies, from the 16th century when slaves were first brought over by the Spanish to the onset of the American Revolution.

Zeinert, Karen. Salem Witch Trials. NY: F. Watts, 1989. (95 ps.) Relates the causes, events, and aftermath of the witchcraft trials that took place in Salem, Massachusetts, in the early 1690's and resulted in the deaths of more than nineteen people.

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