Early American Studies Primary Works, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries
"Eight electronic monographs prepared and posted online and published by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries. These are 8 works out of about 1,100 collected in various series. All are full-text, searchable, and free-access, and are primary works involving some aspect of Early American studies. Scholars, researchers, and students are encouraged to browse, download, print, excerpt, save, etc.," Prepared by Paul Royster, Coordinator of Scholarly Communication, UNL Libraries
The Christian Commonwealth: or,The Civil Policy Of The Rising Kingdom of Jesus Christ. (London, 1659). By John Eliot.
The first book banned in America; a call "to put Christ on the throne of England"; by the so-called "Apostle to the Indians."
(pdf file, 292 K; 66 pp.)
A Brief Description of New-York: Formerly Called New-Netherlands (London, 1670). By Daniel Denton.
The first English description, and a promotional tract to encourage immigration.
(pdf file, 204K; 31 pp. w/ 1 ill.)
Old Mens Tears for Their Own Declensions (Boston, 1691). By Joshua Scottow.
Popular jeremiad tract by a Massachusetts merchant (it was reprinted 4 times 1715-1769).
(pdf file, 175 K; 25 pp.)
A Narrative of the Planting of the Massachusets Colony Anno 1628. (Boston, 1694). By Joshua Scottow.
Expansion of the above tract to include a history of wars, witches, disasters, etc.
(pdf file, 316 K; 66 pp. w/ 1 ill.)
A two Years Journal in New-York: And Part of its Territories in America (London, 1701). By Charles Wolley.
The Anglican chaplain for the New York garrison, 1678-1680; his reminiscences and descriptions of Indian and Dutch manners.
(pdf file, 870K; 57 pp. w/ 2 ills.)
The Constitutions of the Free-Masons.
The first Masonic book printed in America, published by Franklin the year he became Grand Master of Masons of Pennsylvania.
(Philadelphia, 1734). By James Anderson; edited by Benjamin Franklin.
(pdffile, 1 Mb; 102 pp. w/ 1 ill. & numerous ornaments)
De Bestiis Marinis, or, The Beasts of the Sea (St. Petersburg, 1751; English translation 1899). By Georg Wilhelm Steller.
The first (and only) description from life of Steller's Sea Cow, a giant manatee rendered extinct by 1768; from Bering's 2nd voyage.
(pdf file, 832 K; 89 pp. w/ 9 ills.)
David Cusick’s Sketches of Ancient History of the Six Nations (Tuscarora Village, 1828). By David Cusick.
Very early (if not the first) account of Native American history and myth written and published in English by an Indian.
(pdffile, 326K; 49 pp. w/ 4 ills.)
February 16, 2006