Revolutionary America 1763 to 1800 (Almanacs of American Life) [Hardcover]

Thomas L. Purvis (Author)

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Densely packed with more than 400 tables, 100 black-and-white illustrations and maps, and much basic printed text, this book covers the American revolutionary period in 19 topical chapters. Most topics-geography, demographics, the economy, health, education, religion, science, the arts, popular culture, crime-receive adequate attention, with heavy emphasis on "insight into everyday life." On the other hand, Purvis (American National Biography Project) inexplicably slights the Revolutionary War, which, after all, is the central historical event of the period; only individual battles are briefly mentioned in a chronology. The first of four volumes in a series intended to explore the American experience from 1492 to 1945, this work is recommended for larger libraries as a complement to such standard sources as the Encyclopedia of Colonial and Revolutionary America (LJ 11/1/89) and the Encyclopedia of American Social History (LJ 6/1/93).
Ken Kister, author of "Kister's Best Encyclopedias," Tampa, Fla.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

One of the several meanings of the word almanac is an annual publication composed of various lists, charts, and tables of useful information. With the exception of not being published annually, this first volume in a four-volume series adheres closely to that definition. Editor Purvis is the author of many books and articles on the colonial and revolutionary eras and the associate editor of the American National Biography Project. The volume Modern America, covering 1914 to 1945, is also now available ($70, 0-8160-2532-0). Future volumes in the series on the colonial and Victorian eras will be published in 1996.

Virtually every aspect of American life during the period 1763 to 1800 is examined and analyzed in eighteen chapters on topics ranging from climate to crime and violence. The 425 tables and statistical charts are drawn from a variety of government documents, censuses, and secondary literature, and sources are always noted. The tables and charts are complemented by short analytical essays, 79 black-and-white illustrations, and 15 maps, some of which are reproductions of colonial city plans for places like Charleston and Boston. There is a short bibliographic essay, a detailed table of contents, and an index.

The economy, in chapter 4, is treated at greater length than any other topic, with 230 charts and statistical tables that discuss such industries as cotton, naval stores, and the fur trade. Among the more fascinating chapters are those focusing on population and diet and health. We learn, for example, that one in eight children born during this period died within a year, and one in five died before maturity. On the other hand, males who reached 21 lived to 61 years of age on average. The average family had seven children. The average height of soldiers in the Continental Army was five feet eight inches; while European soldiers averaged five feet seven. Americans living during this period ate four times as many turnips as potatoes.

Suggested improvements for future volumes in this series include moving chapter 3, which provides a detailed chronology, to the front or back of the volume, and the elimination of the chapter that has short biographical sketches of only 23 individuals, ranging from a president to a poet. These are readily available in greater depth elsewhere.

The series should have broad appeal for students at all levels and makes an excellent addition to the reference literature.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 383 pages
• Publisher: Facts on File (June 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0816025282
• ISBN-13: 978-0816025282
• Product Dimensions: 11.2 x 8.8 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,033,681 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Wonderful Window Into the Past!, February 10, 2007

By 

Gilberto Villahermosa - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Revolutionary America 1763 to 1800 (Almanacs of American Life) (Hardcover)

Though expensive, this volume, from the "Facts on File Library of America History" series, provides information on all aspects of life in Revolutionary America between 1763 and 1800 including Native-American Life; the Economy; Population Statistics; Diet and Health; Religion; Government; The States and Territories; The Cities, and much, much more.

The chapter on "Diet and Health" reveals, for example, that Americans enjoyed an exceptionally high level of nutrition in the late 18th Century, surpassing their British counterparts and most of the world. By the Revolution, adult American males had reached an average height of five feet, eight inches, a tallness not reached by their average English counterparts until 1900. Americans had thus already reached their modern stature and were as tall as members of the U.S. military serving in World War II!

And the chapter on "Military Affairs" (under "Government") reveals that America's fight for independence, lasting from 1775 to 1783, was a brutal affair that literally decimated the 220,000 individuals who served in the Continental Army, Navy and militia. During the Revolutionary War, the American colonies suffered a relative casualty rate some four times higher than the United States suffered in World War II.

This tremendously useful and interesting volume provides a wealth of information on every aspect of life in the American colonies as they struggled for independence. It should be on the reference shelve of every middle and high school library.