“Diary of an Early American Boy”, Eric Sloane (Ballantine, 1965). The 1805 diary of a fifteen-year old boy growing up on a farm, with extensive annotations on life and culture of the late 18th century.
“Letters from an American Farmer and Sketches of Eighteenth-Century America”, J. Hector, St. John De Crèvecoeur (J. St. John De Crevecoeur) (Viking Press, 1981). First-hand observations of life in the colonies during the Revolutionary War era by a French immigrant.
“Travels in North America in the Years 1780, 1781 & 1782”, Marquis Francois Jean Chastellux; revised translation, with Introduction & Notes by Howard C. Rice, Jr. (University of North Carolina Press for the Institute of Early American History & Culture at Williamsburg, Virginia, 1963) (2 volumes, including photos, reproductions of old prints, maps). The journal of a French nobleman who served with the French army during the period of the American Revolution, this is one of the most detailed and trustworthy records of life in the United States, full of details on topics as varied as daily life, politics, personalities and the flora and fauna of the colonies.
“Private Yankee Doodle, Being a Narrative of Some of the Adventures, Dangers and Sufferings of a Revolutionary Soldier”, Joseph Plumb Martin (Eastern Acorn Press, 1995). A personal account of a private soldier during the Revolutionary War, full of details of daily life.