Williamsburg Regional Library

Bound with an iron chain, the untold story of how the British transported 50,000 convicts to colonial America, Anthony Vaver

eng

Includes bibliographical references (pages 309-328) and index

illustrations

index present

non fiction

Bound with an iron chain

bibliography

742021506

Anthony Vaver

the untold story of how the British transported 50,000 convicts to colonial America

Most people know that England shipped thousands of convicts to Australia, but few are aware that colonial America was the original destination for Britain's unwanted criminals. In the 18th century, thousands of British convicts were separated from their families, chained together in the hold of a ship, and carried off to America, sometimes for the theft of a mere handkerchief. What happened to these convicts once they arrived in America? Did they prosper in an environment of unlimited opportunity, or were they ostracized by the other colonists? Anthony Vaver tells the stories of the petty thieves and professional criminals who were punished by being sent across the ocean to work on plantations. In bringing to life this forgotten chapter in American history, he challenges the way we think about immigration to early America. The book also includes an appendix with helpful tips for researching individual convicts who were transported to America

adult