Аннотация

How European immigrants and their descendants assimilated to the conditions of the colonial society? What were the ways, methods and limits of this complicated assimilation process during XVII–XVIII centuries? How the assimilation was effected by ethnic diversity, which was typical to the colonial society? What was more crucial – assimilation or preservation of ethnic identities? The answers to these and related questions are based on the analysis of numerous variables (social, demographic, cultural etc.) The conclusions prove the validity of the “melting pot” historiographical paradigm, which is enriched by the emphasis on the interdependence of the assimilation and ethnic identities’ development.