The story of English settlement in the Bay region and the influence of the Chesapeake on the location and subsequent development of the first colonies. Cultures, goods, traditions, and technology flowed along the watery reaches of the Chesapeake Bay. Waterways inextricably linked Old and New Worlds, American Indian nations and European nations, African villages and labor-hungry colonies.

"Planting an Empire explores the social and economic history of the Chesapeake region, revealing a story of two similar but distinct areas of interaction and settlement during the colonial period. Linked by the Chesapeake Bay, Virginia and Maryland formed a prosperous and politically important region in North America before the American Revolution. Yet these 'sister' colonies--despite their similar climate and soil, emphasis on tobacco farming, and...

"It is 1755, and the threat of war with France looms over colonial York, Virginia. Chocolatier Esmée Shaw is fighting her own battle of the heart. Having reached her twenty-eighth birthday, she is reconciled to life alone after a decade-old failed love affair from which she's never quite recovered. But she longs to find something worthwhile to do with her life.Captain Henri Lennox has returned to port after a lengthy absence, intent on completing...

"For more than thirty years, the architectural research department at Colonial Williamsburg has engaged in comprehensive study of early buildings, landscapes, and social history in the Chesapeake region. Its painstaking work has transformed our understanding of building practices in the colonial and early national periods and thereby greatly enriched the experience of visiting historic sites. In this beautifully illustrated volume, a team of historians,...

"The Material World of Eyre Hall presents an extensive history of the Eyre family from the 17th through the 21st century, offering a rare and fascinating insight into the preservation of a family home whilst also exemplifying the changing aspects of southern history through Eyre Hall's material culture. Featuring the work of 22 contributors this volume is composed of four main sections, which examine the historical and cultural significance of Eyre...