There are numerous books available for researching the
colonial period of American history. Each takes a different aspect
or view of early life in the colonies and is supported by vast numbers and types of sources. The two books that are the focus of this paper attempt to illustrate the life and the development of
Colonial Virginia and Maryland. The paper
shows that both authors use a topical organizational pattern to frame their thoughts. The two writers diverge however when it comes to sources. Main ("Tobacco Colony: Life in Early Maryland, 1650-1720") makes extensive use of inventory and probate records, court proceedings, statutes, governmental documents and previously published works. She also uses an abundance of statistics. The paper shows that Morgan ("American Slavery American Freedom: The Ordeal of Colonial Virginia") relies more on journal articles and books to support his statements. Any statistical evidence he uses is isolated in the appendix where it is less distracting to the reader. Main's focus is toward "human interest" subjects (i.e. clothing styles, house furnishings); Morgan deals with issues and ideas. The paper argues that both books are excellent and present a wealth of information about the colonial era.