Vignettes of Colonial Virginia: Remarkable Stories from the Founding of America
Illuminating stories of colonial life from the dean of Virginia history

How did ordinary people experience life in the colonial era, from the humdrum happenings of the day-to-day to the extraordinary events still familiar to millions? In his latest book, renowned historian Brent Tarter paints a vibrant, colorful portrait of the Old Dominion in the era before the Revolution, presenting a new collection of stories culled from the depths of his unparalleled career in archival research. Using the language of his historical subjects, Tarter brings the experience of the past to life in his own inimitable but readily accessible style.

Vignettes of Colonial Virginia encompasses thirty-three episodes in total, ranging chronologically from 1607 to the eve of the War for Independence, and features stories of Virginians of all backgrounds and stripes, told with startling immediacy. With the 250th anniversary of the declaration of American independence upon us, this book situates the reader among the ordinary people who lived on the eve of those extraordinary times.
1147208308
Vignettes of Colonial Virginia: Remarkable Stories from the Founding of America
Illuminating stories of colonial life from the dean of Virginia history

How did ordinary people experience life in the colonial era, from the humdrum happenings of the day-to-day to the extraordinary events still familiar to millions? In his latest book, renowned historian Brent Tarter paints a vibrant, colorful portrait of the Old Dominion in the era before the Revolution, presenting a new collection of stories culled from the depths of his unparalleled career in archival research. Using the language of his historical subjects, Tarter brings the experience of the past to life in his own inimitable but readily accessible style.

Vignettes of Colonial Virginia encompasses thirty-three episodes in total, ranging chronologically from 1607 to the eve of the War for Independence, and features stories of Virginians of all backgrounds and stripes, told with startling immediacy. With the 250th anniversary of the declaration of American independence upon us, this book situates the reader among the ordinary people who lived on the eve of those extraordinary times.
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Vignettes of Colonial Virginia: Remarkable Stories from the Founding of America

Vignettes of Colonial Virginia: Remarkable Stories from the Founding of America

by Brent Tarter
Vignettes of Colonial Virginia: Remarkable Stories from the Founding of America

Vignettes of Colonial Virginia: Remarkable Stories from the Founding of America

by Brent Tarter

eBook

$24.95 
Available for Pre-Order. This item will be released on October 1, 2025

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Overview

Illuminating stories of colonial life from the dean of Virginia history

How did ordinary people experience life in the colonial era, from the humdrum happenings of the day-to-day to the extraordinary events still familiar to millions? In his latest book, renowned historian Brent Tarter paints a vibrant, colorful portrait of the Old Dominion in the era before the Revolution, presenting a new collection of stories culled from the depths of his unparalleled career in archival research. Using the language of his historical subjects, Tarter brings the experience of the past to life in his own inimitable but readily accessible style.

Vignettes of Colonial Virginia encompasses thirty-three episodes in total, ranging chronologically from 1607 to the eve of the War for Independence, and features stories of Virginians of all backgrounds and stripes, told with startling immediacy. With the 250th anniversary of the declaration of American independence upon us, this book situates the reader among the ordinary people who lived on the eve of those extraordinary times.

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780813953922
Publisher: Rivanna
Publication date: 10/01/2025
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 228

About the Author

Brent Tarter, retired historian and a founding editor of the Library of Virginia's Dictionary of Virginia Biography project, is the author of many books, including Virginians and Their Histories.

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

Tarter is currently the premier historian of Virginia history from its beginning to the present, blessed with a prose style that is distinctive, fluid, and lively.—Warren M. Billings, University of New Orleans, author of Statute Law in Colonial Virginia: Governors, Assemblymen, and the Revisals That Forged The Old Dominion

The nearly three dozen stories that comprise historian Brent Tarter’s Vignettes of Colonial Virginia shatter the old myth that history is the product of dry-and-dusty research in libraries and archives. Drawn from half a century’s exploration of primary sources, this book introduces us to a vast and populous supporting cast whose lives add depth, character, and variety to the tragedies and comedies of the Old Dominion’s first two centuries.—Jon Kukla, author of Patrick Henry: Champion of Liberty

Tarter has humanized Virginia’s history in his telling of the lived, relatable experiences of its people, injecting empathy and immediacy into what is far too often relegated to memorized dates and events. He writes in a way that, for many stories we know, feels like we’re seeing friends in a new light, and for stories we don’t, has us on the edge of our seats.—Kate Egner, American Battlefield Trust

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