Summary

The term that best described the colonies of North America in the first half of the 18th century was "diverse." After the initial shock of contact, the native populations re-organized themselves in the West. New immigrant groups arrived from Europe bringing with them new beliefs, ideas, and skills. And the economic landscape became more varied and regionally specialized. As the colonists struggled with change, religious revivals swept across the cultural landscape while European power struggles cost France her Canadian empire.