From the establishment of the first permanent English colony at Jamestown in 1607 to the fall of Richmond in 1865, the James River has been instrumental in the formation of modern America. It was along the James that British and Native American cultures collided and, in a twisted paradox, the seeds of democracy and slavery were sown side by side. The culture crafted by Virginia's learned aristocrats, merchants, farmers, and frontiersmen gave voice to the cause of the American Revolution and provided a vision for the fledgling independent nation's future. Over the course of the United States' first century, the James River bore witness to the irreconcilable contradiction of a slave-holding nation dedicated to liberty and equality for all. When that intractable conflict ignited civil war, the James River served as a critical backdrop for the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history. As he guides readers through this exciting historical narrative, Deans gives life to a dynamic cast of characters including the familiar Powhatan, John Smith, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, Benedict Arnold, and Robert E. Lee, as well as those who have largely escaped historical notoriety. The River Where America Began takes readers on a journey along the James River from the earliest days of civilization nearly 15,000 years ago through the troubled English settlement at Jamestown and finishes with Lincoln's tour of the defeated capital of Richmond in 1865. Deans traces the historical course of a river whose contributions to American life are both immeasurable and unique. This innovative history invites us all to look into these restless waters in a way that connects us to our past and reminds us of who we are as Americans.

"A waterway that runs through Virginia also runs through—and nourishes—our identity as a nation. This book is the work of a superb journalist, and also a masterful storyteller. In Bob Deans' unsparing and riveting narrative, we really get to know characters like Captain John Smith and Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, and understand why we wouldn't be who we are if they hadn't been who they were." - Time Magazine

"Deans has written an account of our history that is at once lively, surprising and deeply insightful, a powerful book that reveals much about who Americans are and where we came from." - New Orleans Times-Picayune

"Deans roves far beyond Jamestown's first couple of decades. . . . His succession of stories brims with drama and vignettes of famous and not-so-famous people. Local Virginia collections may be interested in Deans' work." - Library Journal

"Anyone with an interest in early American history should appreciate Deans's mix of natural and cultural perspectives." - Publishers Weekly

"Deans' interlineal commentary reflects the zeitgeist's critical stance toward America's origin story, while his fast-moving presentation successfully engages interest in an overview of Jamestown and its aftermath." - Booklist

"The genuine attempt to include native sources, including the views of twenty-first century natives, is laudable. For historians of the United States or of Virginia specifically, this book should be readable and entertaining." - American Studies

"Heartfelt and engaging. . . . Persons rooted in or who live near the shores of the Hudson and James Rivers will treasure this volume." - Journal Of The American Republic