The Eighteenth-Century Records of the Boston Overseers of the Poor constitutes the collection of the earliest and most complete set of records pertaining to poor relief in early America. In a substantial introduction, the editor Eric Nellis describes the process by which the Overseers of the Poor, a board made up of generally wealthy merchants elected by the town meeting, attempted to distinguish between the -deserving- poor, eligible for -outdoor- relief in their homes, and the -undeserving- poor, who were remanded to the rigors of the workhouse. Because each Overseer knew...
The Eighteenth-Century Records of the Boston Overseers of the Poor constitutes the collection of the earliest and most complete set of recor...
An Empire of Regions is a refreshing interpretation of British American history that demonstrates how the thirteen British mainland colonies grew to function as self-governing entities in distinct regional clusters. In lucid prose, Eric Nellis invites readers to explore the circumstances leading to the colonies' collective defense of their individual interests, and to reevaluate the founding principles of the United States. There is considerable discussion of social conditions and of the British background to the colonies' development. Extensive treatment of slavery, the slave...
An Empire of Regions is a refreshing interpretation of British American history that demonstrates how the thirteen British mainland colonies...