1607- 1650
From 1607 to 1650, early European settlers established colonies in North America. They faced harsh conditions and had sometimes complicated relationships with indigenous peoples. Notable events include the founding of Jamestown and the Pilgrims’ settlement at Plymouth, where they celebrated the first Thanksgiving.
Picture books
Tattered Sails
Lovely story about the voyage to America
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The Very Oldest Pear Tree
True story of pear tree that dates back to the Massachusetts Bay Colony
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The Pilgrims’ First Thanksgiving
Story about the first Thanksgiving
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Sarah Morton’s Day: A Day in the Life of a Pilgrim Girl
Reenacted day in the life of a Pilgrim girl
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Tapenum’s Day: A Wampanoag Indian Boy in Pilgrim Times
Reenacted day in the life of a Wampanoag boy
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Chapter books
Non-fiction books
The New Americans: Colonial Times: 1620-1689
Excellent introduction to different groups of European colonists
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John Winthrop, Oliver Cromwell, and the Land of Promise
Great introduction to the political context of the English colonization
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What Was the First Thanksgiving?
Introduction to the first Thanksgiving for middle-grade readers
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Roanoke: The Lost Colony
Engaging exploration of the Roanoke mystery
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The Wampanoag
Introduction to Wampanoag culture and their contact with settlers
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First People: The Early Indians of Virginia
Brief history of the Native Americans of Virginia
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Life of the Powhatan
Introduction to life in the Powhatan confederacy
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Voices from Colonial America: New France 1534-1763
Great introduction to New France
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Voices from Colonial America: California 1542-1850
Great introduction to the Spanish colonization of California
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Biographies
Pocahontas
Excellent biography of Pocahontas based on John Smith’s journal
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Sir Walter Ralegh and the Quest for El Dorado
Excellent biography of an English adventurer and favorite of Queen Elizabeth
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Samuel De Champlain: From New France to Cape Cod
Introduction to the French explorer’s role in colonizing New France
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