"The definitive history of the Jamestown colony, the crucible of American history
'An absolutely terrific book.' —New York Times
In this beautiful, vividly told story, James Horn describes the beginnings of England's first successful colony in America, persuasively demonstrating that Jamestown was the first great crucible of American history.
A Land As God Made It describes the unimaginable hardships endured by early colonists in their efforts to establish a settlement, their search for gold mines and a massage to the East, and their hopes of finding fabulously wealthy Indian civilizations. It details the dramatic exploits of Captain John Smith and his relationship with the Powhatans, and explores the tragic consequences of English attempts to convert Indian peoples to Christianity. With unparalleled knowledge of Jamestown's early history, James Horn has written a gripping account of the colony that gave rise to America."
"The essential history of the extraordinary year in which American democracy and American slavery emerged hand in hand in Virginia
"If anyone today knows colonial Virginia, it is James Horn." -Wall Street Journal
Along the banks of the James River, during an oppressively hot spell in the middle of summer 1619, two events occurred within a month of one another that would profoundly shape the course of history. At the end of July, the General Assembly-the first representative governing body in America-met in the newly built church at Jamestown. Several weeks later, two battered privateers entered the Chesapeake Bay carrying the first African slaves to arrive in mainland English America.
In 1619, historian James Horn sheds new light on the year that gave birth to the most important political development in American history, the rise of democracy, and then emergence of what would in time become one of the nation's greatest challenges: the corrosive legacy of slavery and racism that has afflicted America ever since.
Questioning many of the cherished myths of our founding, 1619 is essential reading for anyone who wishes to understand America's true beginnings."
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