The grand houses created by 18th-century Virginians are a huge tourist draw, but what does their design tell us about the natures of the men who built them? The auhor "illuminates the fortunes, motivations, and aspirations of the wealthy and powerful owners who built their 'homes' with the object of securing their status and impressing the public."
Among those included are the houses of Governor Alexander Spotswood, William Fitzhugh, the Lee family of Westmoreland, and Thomas Jefferson. Historians and students of architecture should enjoy this unusual approach to the time period.
Coffee shops have been used as gathering places for a long time. During their mid-eighteenth century incarnation, they served as a meeting place for middle class up and comers and political radicals.
As might be surmised from the title, Dr. Johnson's London gives glimpses into the various sights, smells, and practical matters of life in long ago London for criminals, the poor, the middle class, high society and royalty. The author draws largely from original sources.
This 19th-century series of writings on the period of colonization of North America is considered to be a classic of its time. Contents of the two volumes include: v. 1. Pioneers of France in the New World. The Jesuits of North America in the seventeenth century. La Salle and the discovery of the Great West. The old regime in Canada -- v. 2. Count Frontenac and New France under Louis XIV. A half-century of conflict. Montcalm and Wolfe. Reserve volumes with a specific copy hold.
Also available to read online.
