Research Resources

Resource One: French Colonization

Source Summary

When finding information about the French colonization of the Americas, I chose the HistoryWorld website. This source was about 2 pages long and contained information on the French colonies in America. I found this source to be very helpful and factual, providing a basic and complete summary of France's expansion of the Americas. This source went into great detail describing the rise and fall of French colonization in the new world, starting with the explorations of Jacques Cartier and ending with the end of the French and Indian Wars. I particularly liked how the source explained how France obtained these colonies in America, and then how they eventually lost all of them. All in all I found the HistoryWorld website to be a very good source.

Source Citation

"History of French Colonial America." HistoryWorld . 30 Oct 2008 <http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?groupid=823&HistoryID=aa82>.

Resource Two: Dutch Colonization

Source Summary

When finding information about the Dutch colonization of the Americas, I found the Encyclopedia Britannica to be most helpful. the encyclopedia has an entire page on Dutch expansion and colonization throughout the world, but only a paragraph on it's settlements in America. I found this source essential because it provided detailed descriptions of Dutch Activity in America, including settling and creating the city which is now New York. The encyclopedia explained where the Dutch settled in America, and how it was eventually lost. I particularly enjoyed how the source explained how the Dutch obtained Manhattan Island from the Native Americans, by simply paying them $24. Although it was only a paragraph, I still found the Encyclopedia Britannica to have enough information about the Dutch in America. It was very factual and helpful.

Source Citation

"European Overseas Exploration and Empires." The New Encyclopedia Britannica . 15th ed. 1998.

Resource Three: English Colonization

Source Summary

Anthony MacFarlane's The British in the Americas, 1480 - 1815, provides an exceptional wealth of information regarding England's colonization of and impact on the development of Colonial America. MacFarlane provides an integrated chronology of this development, from Great Britain's first, fledgling attempts at settling in the New World, to their successful establishment of the Jamestown territory. This detailed yet appropriate depth of information renders the book an extremely valuable resource. What I found most intriguing, however, was MacFarlane's analysis of post-colonial America and his reflections on the remaining British influence.

Source Citation

McFarlane, Anthony. The British in the Americas, 1480 - 1815. Great Britain: Longman, 1994.

Resource Four: Portuguese Colonization

Source Summary

The book New World in the Tropicsis a well written work on the history of the Portugese in the Americas. It has a special emphasis on the Portugeuses only colony in South America, Brazil. The book makes interesting notes on that of Portugeuse multiculturalism in Brazil as well the emergence of a distinctive Brazilian culture that fuses, African, Indian and Iberian influences together. It covers a wide span of history ranging from the early foundations of the Portugese Empire to The arrival of King João IV of Portugal in 1808. The book comes to a close in 1822 with the breakaway of Brazil from Portugal with the crowning of Prince Pedo II. Overall it is a very good resource for further investigation into Portguese history.

Source Citation

Freyre,Gilberto New World in the Tropics. Westport: Greenwood Press, 1980.

Resource Five: Spanish Colonization

Source Summary

The scholarly article "Spanish Colonies in North America", found in the American Studies International publication, was extremely beneficial as a resource for multiple reasons. This work was richly detailed and provided intricate facts about the Spanish colonization endeavors in the Americas. The author, Sylvia Hilton, takes a relatively microscopic approach with regards to viewing and interpreting the Spanish settlements. Hilton's treatment of the topic is one of a unique manner as her writing and research traverse not only the factual voyages and expeditions of the conquistadors but also the psychology behind such an endeavor. While it is not possible to implement all of her explications in a simple, one paragraph synthesis of "Colonial Expansion in America", the solid and academically sound information presented in the article was, needless to say, more than adequately informative.

Source Citation

Hilton, Sylvia. "Spanish Colonies in North America." American Studies International 32 (1994): 70 - 95.

Resource Six: Northern European Colonization

Source Summary

For this subject I used the Encyclopedia Britannica, I found it to be enormously helpful in the fact that it had very good and accurate information that I could use for this project. Its articles on the foundations of the states was its largest contribution to my articles, although it did have a notable article on the Russian Empire that included things like the Kamtachka Expedition and Admiral Bering. Overall I was very pleased with its information on the Colony of New Sweden, it was very accurate and full of notable things.

Source Citation

"Russian Alaska." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. <colonialism, Western." Encyclopædia Britannica. 2008. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. 24 Sept. 2008 <http://search.eb.com/eb/article-25886>.