Events that Shaped the American Character

Tony Williams’s America’s Beginnings: the Dramatic Events that Shaped a Nation’s Character satisfies two goals. It provides the basics on important events that influenced the early nation and continue to shape us today. And it also serves as a springboard for further exploration and study.

Indeed, the entries on each event are so brief—no more than two to three pages—that many readers will probably come away with even more questions that need answering. And that, of course, can lead to a very good thing!

All of the biggies are here, from the Mayflower Compact to Common Sense to Bunker Hill to the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

Also included are other events that are less well-known, (or is it just me who wasn’t paying attention in history class), like Shays’ Rebellion, an uprising that lead to calls for a stronger national government.

Even the Salem Witch Trials are included, since they have come to symbolize intolerance and persecution. And Ben Franklin and his Lightning Rod make the list since Franklin “would later use the fame he had acquired as a scientist to advance America’s struggle for liberty on the global stage.”

It’s a great gathering of events for budding historians or anyone who seeks a handy reference companion on Early American history.

Williams wrote the book in association with Colonial Williamsburg, the worlds largest living history museum.

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