Peter C. Mancall, "Contested Continent: The Struggle for North America, c. 1000-1680" (Oxford UP, 2026)
About this episode
Peter C. Mancall discusses his book on the complex history of North America from 1000 to 1680, highlighting the interactions between Indigenous peoples and European migrants.
In Contested Continent: The Struggle for America, c.1000-1680 (Oxford University Press, 2026), the newest installment of the acclaimed Oxford History of the United States series, Peter C. Mancall recounts how North America was forged from the experiences of millions of Indigenous women and men as well as Europeans and Africans. This history spans the continent from the North Atlantic to the West Indies and includes the entire Atlantic basin, telling a new story about the origins of major aspects of American culture. He illuminates the rise of a booming trans-Atlantic economy based on the extraction of abundant American natural resources; the central role that European migrants and their descendants played in the enslavement of Africans and the displacement of Indigenous peoples; and the spread of self-governing polities where many enjoyed religious freedom. None of these developments was inevitable. Conflicts broke out frequently as different peoples battled over precious resources. Europeans' appetites for material gain and expanding Christendom brought horrific consequences for those brutalized, enslaved, and vulnerable to infectious…
People in this episode
Guest: Peter C. Mancall
Topics covered
- Indigenous history
- European migration
- trans-Atlantic economy
- enslavement
- cultural origins
- conflict over resources
- American founding
Keywords
- North America
- Indigenous peoples
- European migration
- trans-Atlantic economy
- enslavement
- cultural history
- conflict
- American culture
- historical narrative
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: Oxford University Press
Books & works: Contested Continent: The Struggle for North America, c. 1000-1680
Places: North America, North Atlantic, West Indies, Atlantic basin, United States
More episodes of In Conversation: An OUP Podcast
- Sue Donaldson and Will Kymlicka, "Animals and the Right to Politics" (Oxford UP, 2026)
- Rory Cormac, "Fakers: A Top-Secret Tale of Phantoms and Forgeries on the Disinformation Front Line" (Oxford UP, 2026)
- Christopher M. Federico et al., "The Authoritarian Divide: Partisan Identity, Voting, and the Transformation of the American Electorate" (Oxford UP, 2026)
- Diana T. Kudaibergen, "What Does It Mean to Be Kazakhstani?: Power, Identity and Nation-Building" (Oxford UP, 2024)
- Becoming the System
- Ted Powell, "Churchill and the Crown" (Oxford UP, 2026)
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the In Conversation: An OUP Podcast podcast page.