Digitized collection of Colonial Office files held at the UK National Archives.
Covering the period 1606 to 1822, this collection constitutes the original correspondence between the British government and the governments of the American colonies. In particular, it includes correspondence of the colonial governments with the Board of Trade, the Secretary of State for the Southern Department, and the Secretary of State for the Colonies, together holding responsibility for the British possessions in mainland North America and the Caribbean.
Colonial America documents the early history of the colonies, and includes founding charters, material on the effects of 1688’s Glorious Revolution in North America, records of piracy and seaborne rivalry with the French and Spanish, and copious military material from the French and Indian War of 1756-63.
Includes the following modules:
- Early Settlement, Expansion and Rivalries
- Towards Revolution
- The American Revolution
- Legislation and Politics in the Colonies
- Growth, Trade and Development (coming in 2019)
Tips for using this collection are available in the
Adam Matthew Digital Help Centre.