Historical dictionary of colonial America

"The years between 1450 and 1550 marked the end of one era in world history and the beginning of another. Most importantly, the focus of global commerce and power shifted from the Mediterranean Sea to the Atlantic Ocean, largely because of the discovery of a new continent. The New World was more than a geographic novelty. It opened the way for human endeavors, first fulfilled by the British colonies of North America nearly 100 years after Columbus landed in the Bahamas. This Historical Dictionary of Colonial America covers America's history from its first settlements to the immediate aftermath of the French and Indian War. This is done through a chronology, an introductory essay, appendixes, an extensive bibliography, and more than 400 cross-referenced dictionary entries on the various colonies--how and by whom they were founded, as well as when and how they declared independence. Religious, political, economic, and family life; important people; warfare; and relations between British, French, Spanish, and Dutch colonies are also among the topics covered."--Page 4 of cover.