To Make This Land Our Own

"Arlin Migliazzo gives us an in-depth examination of an early colonial settlement in the interior frontier. Through his carefully researched study of Purrysburgh we come to appreciate how it was both indicative of backcountry settlements and yet distinct in its composition and structure. Migliazzo explores the nature of this community through its inhabitants' interactions and relationships, both within and without the settlement, detailing their adaptations to new environs and the means by which a community identity was forged among strangers from diverse nations. For what it tells us of people, place, and purpose, To Make this Land Our Own is a significant contribution to our understanding of the development of the southern backcountry."—Kenneth E. Lewis, professor of anthropology, Michigan State University, and author of Camden: Historical Archaeology in the South Carolina Backcountry

"In this highly readable and minutely researched work, Migliazzo seeks to move beyond a local study of Purrysburg to understand its development within the larger context of the colonial South."—H-Net Reviews