"Wilderness at Dawn - The Settling of the North American Continent" by Ted Morgan

Lately, instead of eclectic patterns of selecting (usually fiction) books, I focused on works of American-centered history.

"Wilderness at Dawn" refers to the early settlement of  North America. Strange, we think "that Columbus discovered America": no, he was trying to find a short way to China, didn't know where he was. He never set foot on mainland America, landing on Hispaniola, etc.

The European name of the continents came from another voyager, an Italian trader, Amerigo Vespucci. Though he may have fabricated reports of some voyages, he realized he was not in China or anywhere near it; he called the new lands Mundus Novus, New World.  I am nearly 70 and I never knew that. (Maybe I didn't pay attention that day.)

The book does justice to the First Immigrants, which is how we might consider The Tribes. This book was published in 1993; the theory is that a group of people of Asian origin became trapped on the Bering Land Bridge (more than 30,000 years ago) when one of the many Climate Changes (how could this happen? Where were their SUV's?) caused rapid melting of glaciers; the people could not go back to Asia, so they followed their game animals east into (what we call) Alaska. Then, successive generations over the many thousands of years, filtered south over NA and SA.

In North America, sadly, with all the skills these people had and learned, the author says they never figured out metal smelting, coal burning and harnessing water and wind power. (Gold? Silver?) Their great civilization,  the Mound Builders, was based on the Many slaving to acquire Grave Goods for the privileged few; they buried their wealth; human sacrifice, polygamy for the rich and cannibalism were part of the scene. 

The Tribes were not equipped to succeed against the European infiltration of Spanish soldier-explorers and priests after wealth and souls; then the French came with priests and hunters seeking trade in the North. Finally, the British came. They needed a foothold in NA along with other Powers; they too wanted wealth--and they needed a place to dump all their "younger sons" of Nobles, jail birds and whores. Those amounted to settlers, many settlers. And there was So Much Land!

All the Europeans brought disease germs! The author mentions that the only disease Europe may have gotten in return: Syphilis--somehow the early Americans had that.

The book does not "know" about the Jamestown Re Discovery, my current obsession. But describes each major settlement and events leading up to the American Revolution.

Interesting, he covers the laws, plans and surveying procedures used to distribute newly opened lands to military veterans and many others. We never learn about the Surveyors as we learn about Explorers, War Heroes, Cowboys, etc. The Surveyors were many and led hard lives; the nerds and geeks of their day.

I have not scratched the surface of all the interesting material and "fun-facts" in this companionable book. (had fun writing the review, however.)