American History.

Here are some thoughts and links of interest.

A good place to start research on general history of the Winthrop fleet and the early Massachusetts Bay Colony is the Winthrop Society Home page. The Winthrop Society, dedicated to preserving the memory and philosophy of Governor John Winthrop and the Puritan colonists who came with him to plant the Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1630. It appears that the Society is well run by good genealogists, with a sincere desire to contribute to knowledge about the Winthrop fleet colonists.

The passenger lists of the Winthrop Fleet are found at the fine site of Dave Curtin.

http://www.usigs.org/library/books/ma/Hingham1893/Hingham1893.html  is the History of Hingham, MA, part of the free books online project.  

There were about  30,000 emigrants from England to New England before the English revolted against Charles. They were mainly from the English middle-class.  Their motivation was religious, political, and economic. Under the hand of King Charles, the British church and government was becoming a worry to these people.   This worry and resentment in England led to the English Glorious Revolution beginning in 1642.  The arguments of many Englishmen at this time were centered on the idea that the unwritten constitution limited the powers of government.  The migration of these persons from 1630 to 1649  is called the Great Migration.  This timing of the Great Migration resulted in a particular political brand of thought about government being prevalent in the colonies.  Thus the timing of the Great Migration had its influence in the arguments of the American colonists at the time of the American Revolution.

THE AMERICAN COLONIST'S LIBRARY: A TREASURY OF PRIMARY DOCUMENTS pertaining to early American history.   An invaluable collection of historical works which contributed to the formation of American politics, culture, and ideals. This is a massive collection of the literature and documents which were most relevant to the colonists' lives in America. The site proclaims that if it isn't here, it probably is not available online anywhere, and they may be close to right. 

K-12 Lessons, Sources & the Internet by Gina Otto  is a great site for teachers, with lots of teaching aids about American history.  

The New England Historic Genealogical Society (NEHGS) is the oldest genealogical society in the country. For over 150 years, NEHGS has helped new and experienced researchers trace their heritage in >New England and around the world. If you have New England ancestors, or are interested in genealogical research of any kind, you will find that the Society is an important resource for helping you achieve your research goals.   

The State of Rhode Island has a good summary of state history.   For example, see their good summary of colonial history.

Pawtucket has a name and border history that confuses researchers.  We have added a page to explain Pawtucket's name and border history.

Bibliographies of the American Revolutionary War are maintained by the US Army.