DSE I - History of the USA: Independence to Civil War

I. Formation of USA: historical background

[a] Colonialism and forms of labour: indigenous tribes, indentured labour, slave labour

Focus:
Process of colonization with reference to British mercantilism; its purpose and impact;
Establishment of the colonies; Forms of Labour during the colonial period: Indigenous Tribes,
White Indentured & Free Labour, Slave Labour.

Eric Foner, Give Me Liberty, Vol. I

a) For colonization, from Eric Foner read from pp. 40 to 48

b) From Eric Foner – for mercantilism read from pp. 95 to 101; and to understand changes
taking place in the colonies within broad parameter of mercantilism read from pp. 156 to 168.
c) From Eric Foner – to understand the diversity of population settling down in the British-
American colonies read from pp. 113 to 117.
d) For Indentured labour read from pp. 60 to 63 and for Black labour read from pp. 101 to 105
and additionally see pp. 137 to 149.
e) To understand indigenous tribes and an overview check Eric Foner from pp. 3 to 20 with
special emphasis from pp. 16-20.

Boyer, Sitkoff etal, The Enduring Vision

a) For Colonization, see Boyer, Sitkoff et al, from pp. 114 to 120.
b) For information on indentured labour, see Boyer, Sitkoff et al from pp. 74 to 78 and for
slavery pp. 94 to 96.
c) To understand indigenous tribes, see Boyer, Sitkoff et al, pages 62 to 63 and pp. 110 to 111.
Harold Faulkner, American Economic History

See the Chapter ‘Colonial Agriculture and Labour’ – Read especially the part on American
Indian, Colonial Labour and Colonial Slavery

Howard Zinn, A People’s History of the United States, From 1492 to the Present

Chapters I to IV - But it is written like a story. Some ideas can be extracted.

(These pages are only indicative. The pages are based on hard copies of the books. Explore the
pages as you read).