Lanham: University Press of America, 1966.

In his historical novel The First Frontier: Life in Colonial America John C. Miller tells of the taming of a harsh frontier. He tackles such topics as Puritans versus Quakers, southern plantation versus cities, and everyday life in the colonial period.

Most people do not realize how similar Quakers and Puritans really are. Both came to the new world to escape persecution. The Puritans planned to create a "Heaven on Earth." The Quakers desired a fresh start in order to create an apostolic church. The main difference in belief between the two consisted of timing. The Puritans believed that God changed people slowly into what he desired them to be. The Quakers expected a sudden spark of "inner light" which signaled "contact with the Almighty" (p. 74). However, both groups promoted high standards of moral behavior, inflicted harsh punishments, and discouraged outsiders from trying to enter their settlement. Most recreational activities in which Englishmen participated were considered shameful in the eyes of these strict religious societies.

In addition to religion, Miller speaks of the differences between south

Next, I would have required the writer to draw more upon his own wording instead of including so many lengthy quotes. Although I have not made a calculated effort to find an exact percentage, it appears that at least one third of this book consists of borrowed wording and information. Maybe, he should have done a bit more researching of his own.

In a way, this work is both easy and hard to read. Most of the wording, with only a few exceptions, is easy to understand and therefore read. However, in my opinion, the author did not try hard enough to keep the reader's interest, but the history section in the library is not my favorite section (nor is it my least favorite). Because of this fact, I consider myself a bit biased.

Although the historical information of Miller's book seems accurate and informative, it could have been written better. The novel was not too long or too short, but at some time it appears to be written for the average person and at other times the author expects the reader to know what certain uncommon words mean. For instance, Miller talks about the beliefs of Calvinism without explaining them (p. 66). Although I am familiar with such beliefs, I believe that the average person does not know about "the elect," predestination, infant damnation, and depravity unless they are just interested in religion and have studied it. Also, in the chapter entitled Social Rank and Dress he mentions "Englishmen who return from the Grand Tour" (p. 117) but does not explain what the "Grand Tour" entails.

On the other hand, one element the author did get right was humor. Miller often uses subtle humor to enhance the readability of his work and the enjoyment of his audience. For example, after telling of Samuel Sewall who had lost two wives, ten children, and fourteen grandchildren by death, Miller comments that Samuel Sewall was "the most assiduous funeral-goer in Boston." Humor proves to be a beneficial addition to the novel.

ern plantations and cities. The majority of the popul

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Approximate Word count = 1357
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)