A surprising number of America's earliest settlements have been preserved or reconstructed to help 20th century Americans understand how Europeans first settled North America. If you're planning a trip along the east coast, chances are good that at least one of these sites will be within a few hours of your route. These pages provide background information and explainig the historical significance of these sites. They also list numerous other web sites for each location.

You can also use these pages to take your own interactive tour of the places that helped start a new nation. To begin your journey, select a location from the navigation bar. To return to this page, click on "start."