Pulitzer Prize History Winner

The Founding of New England

by James Truslow Adams

Summary

Adams traces the settlement of New England from the Puritan migrations through the colonial decades, examining religion, economics, and politics rather than treating the founders as simple heroes. He challenges reverent regional myths with a critical, secular eye on the motives behind the colonies. The book opened a multivolume study of New England and marked Adams as a leading interpreter of early American society.

Historical Context & Significance

Adams later popularized the phrase the American Dream in his 1931 book The Epic of America.