Irish Immigrants in the Land of Canaan is a monumental and pathbreaking study of early Irish Protestant and Catholic migration to America. Through exhaustive research and sensitive analyses of the letters; memoirs; and other writings; the authors describe the variety and vitality of early Irish immigrant experiences; ranging from those of frontier farmers and seaport workers to revolutionaries and loyalists. Largely through the migrants own words; it brings to life the networks; work; and experiences of these immigrants who shaped the formative stages of American society and its Irish communities. The authors explore why Irishmen and women left home and how they adapted to colonial and revolutionary America; in the process creating modern Irish and Irish-American identities on the two sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Irish Immigrants in the Land of Canaan was the winner of the James S. Donnelly; Sr.; Prize for Books on History and Social Sciences; American Council on Irish Studies.
#727970 in Books John Ruston Pagan 2002-11-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 5.40 x .70 x 8.10l; .65 #File Name: 0195144791232 pagesAnne Orthwood s Bastard Sex and Law in Early Virginia
Review
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful. Life; Love; and Law in Early Colonial VirginiaBy Unholier Than ThouI read this book for a college class and; holy cow; is it good. Pagan uses a series of court cases arising from a tryst in early colonial Virginia to open a window into the culture then under construction. The colonial authorities either modified or enforced English law in a manner deemed appropriate for the new environment they found themselves in. How and why they did it is extremely fascinating. Pagan mentions in his conclusion that the underlying story is operatic in its dimensions and he isn't lying. The text is a slim 150 pages so this would be a perfect book to buy for people who want to introduce themselves or their lives ones to the joys of historical scholarship. It is interesting enough for the lay reader and meaty enough for professional historians.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Very interesting angle on historyBy E. NelsonI like history books and enjoy the unusual angle which this author takes to discuss politics and culture in the early colonial period. The book is easy to read and generally kept my interest piqued. There were a few times where I felt that the author was rambling a bit and over analyzing a particular point but that never last for more than a couple of pages before it turned interesting again. One thing I had not anticipated is just how much the book focuses on law; including the development of common laws and statutes and discussion on how the local courts came to be; and how judges and jurors were selected; with lots of case examples used for context. Notwithstanding the title; I had not expected that law was the primary topic of the book; which it really is - the story of Anne Orthwood is more secondary.Overall; I do feel this book added to my knowledge and understanding of the past in a way that other history books do not. It reinforced a lot of what I have already learned about the time period; and added other insight. For example; there was quite a bit (relatively speaking; given the small populations) of unmarried sexual encounters in 1600s; and often the fathers would deny paternity and (if the mother died or was poor) leave the child to be sent off to involuntary servitude while still an infant. So; in essence; lots of children grew up having no parents and no family to call their own - I had not thought of that happening in the late 1600's. Strange how men would place so much emphasis on family and religion; and at the same time completely abandon their own child because admitting to a sexual encounter with a lower class female would hurt their reputation.Overall; highly recommended. While it was not a book that I 'could not put down'- it was one that I looked forward to reading each evening until I finished.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. Easy reasBy ThelmaI had to read this book for a constitutional history class in college. Unlike other history books this was an easy read. It's more of a narrative than fact after fact. The author strays off sometimes on things that don't seem so important. But the story is fascinating and I learned a lot about this time period. I'd recommend this book.
