by Edwin Tunis
First published 1976
Edwin Tunis brings colonial America to life through meticulous examination of how ordinary settlers lived from day to day. His extensive research reveals the practical details of transplanting European ways to the New World. Tunis explains how colonists constructed their homes using trunnels, girts, and hand-hewn timber. He walks readers through domestic tasks like spinning thread, weaving cloth, dyeing fabric, making candles and soap, and cooking over open fires with specialized tools. The book covers agricultural practices, showing the crops colonists grew and the implements they used. Tunis provides detailed illustrations of craftsmen at work, including blacksmiths, coopers, millers, joiners, and silversmiths. His intimate knowledge of colonial customs creates a comprehensive picture of everyday existence from the earliest coastal settlements through the revolutionary period. The book offers readers a thorough understanding of how determined men and women adapted European traditions to build new lives in America.
Genres: history, reference, non-fiction, american-history
Vibes: comprehensive, detailed, educational, informative, intimate, thorough
Tropes: comprehensive-overview, detailed-examination, historical-documentation
Setting: America, Europe, New World
Period: Colonial Period, Revolutionary Period
155 pages · Hardcover · Ty Crowell Co