Skip to Main Content

Colonies in America: Commerce, Business, and the Economy

Internet Sources & Maps

map of what is now the United States and Canada from the east coast through to what is now Texas showing British and French holdings
A map of the British and French dominions in North America, with the roads, distances, limits, and extent of the settlements. 1755. Library of Congress Geography & Map Division.

Although we have tried to be broadly inclusive in our selection of general sources on this topic, this listing is not comprehensive. Many state libraries or historical societies often have important collections of maps, manuscripts, and other material that may not found anywhere else. Material is continually being digitized since institutions are interested in making their collections as accessible as possible. These local historical societies, libraries, and research institutions are very in telling the story of their state or community so it may be helpful to visit the websites to see what is available digitally but also in original formats.

Some of the entries below include primary sources (digitized or transcribed) while others have both primary sources as well as other resources, particularly those that teach the history of their community. Some entries are likely to be places that would be good for research from this time period even though there may not be a large trove of digitized content available on-line.