1650 – 1765
Colonial America was a period of settlement, growth, and cultural exchange. Colonists from various countries, including England, Spain, France, and the Netherlands, established diverse colonies. This era saw interactions with indigenous peoples, the rise of colonial economies, and the early seeds of American independence, shaping the future United States. (You can find books about the earliest European settlements here. )
Picture books
Our Colonial Year
Introduction to daily life in the 13 English colonies through a monthly verse
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Homespun Sarah
Story of a colonial girl on a Pennsylvania farm
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Thy Friend, Obadiah
Award-winning story of a Nantucket boy and his seagull
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If You Lived In Williamsburg in Colonial Days
Accessible introduction to life in colonial Williamsburg
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Old Silver Leg Takes Over! A Story of Peter Stuyvesant
Fun introduction to the famous governor of New Amsterdam
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Chapter books
The Witch of Blackbird Pond
Award-winning novel of a girl in colonial Connecticut accused of witchcraft
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Weetamoo: Heart of the Pocassets, Massachusetts – Rhode Island, 1653
Fictional diary of a Pocasset chief’s daughter
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Enemy in the Fort (American Girl History Mysteries)
Historical mystery about a girl living in frontier New Hampshire
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Trouble at Fort Lapointe
Novel about an Ojibwa-French girl solving a mystery
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Madeleine Takes Command
Novel based on a true story of a girl in a colonial French Canadian fort
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Standing in the Light: the Captive Diary of Catharine Carey Logan
Fictional diary of a girl living among Native Americans
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Look to the Hills: The Diary of Lozette Moreau, a French Slave Girl, New York Colony 1763
Fictional diary of an enslaved French girl in colonial New York
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Colonial America: An Interactive History Adventure
Choose-your-own-adventure book set in colonial America
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Mystery on Skull Island
Mystery featuring two girls living in colonial South Carolina
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Ocean-Born Mary
Novel about a real-life girl growing up in colonial New England
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Non-fiction books
Struggle for a Continent: The French and Indian Wars: 1689-1763
Excellent introduction to the different European powers in colonial America and their conflicts
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The World of William Penn
Biography of William Penn and his famous contemporaries around the world
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Fort Mose: And the Story of the Man Who Built the First Free Black Settlement in Colonial America
True story of a community of the first legal free black community in North America
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Dutch Colonies in America (We the People)
Introduction to the Dutch colonies in America
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Spanish Colonies in America (We the People)
Introduction to the Spanish colonies in America
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French Colonies in America
Introduction to the French colonies in America
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Government (Colonial Life)
Exploration of the structures and role of government in the American colonies
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Colonial America Reference Library: Primary Sources
Excerpts of primary sources from colonial America
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The Farmer (Colonial People)
Introduction to the life of a colonial farmer
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Religion in Colonial America
Description of the types and role of religion in colonial America
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Biographies
Young George Washington and the French and Indian War, 1753-175
Biography of George Washington’s early colonial career for young readers
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The Trailblazing Life of Daniel Boone and How Early Americans Took to the Road
Exciting biography of a colonial American adventurer
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William Penn: Founder of Pennsylvania
Graphic novel biography of William Penn
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Activities
Explore Colonial America!: 25 Great Projects, Activities, Experiments (Explore Your World)
Activities, projects, and experiments inspired by colonial American life
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Great Colonial America Projects: You Can Build Yourself (Build It Yourself)
Projects inspired by colonial American life
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Eat Your U.S. History Homework: Recipes for Revolutionary Minds
Exploration of food in colonial America, with recipes
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Colonial Kids: An Activity Guide to Life in the New World
Activities inspired by colonial American life
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Cut & Assemble an Early American Seaport
Cut-out paper model of a colonial American seaside town
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