Pulitzer Prize History Winner
The Atlantic Migration, 1607–1860
by Marcus Lee Hansen
Summary
Hansen traces how millions of Europeans crossed the Atlantic to settle in America between the founding of Jamestown and the eve of the Civil War. He treats migration as a single great movement shaped by economic pressures, religious motives, and the pull of cheap land, weaving together the Old World and the New. The book reframed immigration history as central to the American story rather than a side note, and it remains a foundational study of the subject.
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Historical Context & Significance
Hansen died in 1938 and the book was published after his death, edited by Arthur M. Schlesinger Sr., making it a posthumous Pulitzer winner.