England in America, 1580-1652

This volume offers a concise, chronological look at how England first reached and tried to settle the New World from the late 1500s through the mid‑1600s. It begins with the early, largely unsuccessful ventures of Sir Walter Gilbert and Sir Walter Raleigh, highlighting the mix of adventure, profit‑seeking, and rivalry with Spain that drove those attempts. The narrative then moves to the establishment of Virginia, detailing the formation of joint‑stock companies, the harsh realities of early life, the transformative impact of tobacco, and the colony’s early steps toward self‑government.

From there, the book follows the rise of Maryland as a proprietary venture, showing how lessons learned in Virginia shaped its development and how early boundary disputes unfolded. The story continues into New England, tracing the foundations of Plymouth, Massachusetts, and Connecticut, and examining how religious motives, communal organization, and local governance began to set these settlements apart. Throughout, the author weaves social, economic, and political threads to explain why these early colonies evolved in ways that both mirrored and diverged from the mother country.