Writing Early America

Trevor Burnard is the Wilberforce Professor of Slavery and Emancipation at the University of Hull, Director of the Wilberforce Institute, and the author of Planters, Merchants, and Slaves: Plantation Societies in British America, 1650-1820.

Introduction The Historiography of Early America Early American History in Academic Journals #VastEarlyAmerica? Themes and Methods The World of Early America (1): Wealth, Commerce and Environment The World of Early America (2): Slavery The World of Early America (3): Indigenous Peoples The World of Early America (4): Gender Continuity, Stability and Prosperity: Eighteenth-Century British History Managing Difference and Engaging Power: The Imperial Turn The American Revolution Conclusion

"The depth and breadth of Burnard's research and analysis is difficult to describe in a brief review, and are emblematic of the book's significance as an exploration of recent developments in early American historiography and the potentialities and problems that the field continues to face. . . . Scholars of eighteenth-century Britain and its American empire will find this lucidly written book extremely useful as both a summary of current research and an indicator of roads not yet taken."-- "Family & Community History" "Historiography matters," according to Trevor Burnard, and I wholeheartedly agree! His quirky and surprisingly even-handed new book Writing Early America: From Empire to Revolution offers an interesting approach to the genre, by analyzing hundreds of articles from academic journals written about early America over the last decade on the period he is calling "the short 18th century," defined as the seven decades beginning in 1714. A long-time contributor to the history of early America, Burnard here presents a nuanced account of trends in historical writing, finding much attention to slavery, indigenous peoples, and empire, alongside other more persistent topics such as gender and the American Revolution. He also considers how the long-standing dialogue between 18th century British scholarship and that of early America fares at the moment. An interesting pandemic project, this work gives much food for thought. --Carla Pestana, UCLA, author of The English Conquest of Jamaica: Oliver Cromwell's Bid for Empire Writing Early America has something for every scholar of vast eighteenth-century America, the Atlantic World, and the British Isles. I learned something on every page. The learning on display is exceptional--and valuable. A remarkable achievement. --Paul Mapp, William & Mary, author of The Elusive West and the Contest for Empire, 1713-1763