This collection of essays investigates how the cultural origins of English colonists shaped their social adaptation and institutional development in early North America. T. H. Breen, a historian specializing in early American society, utilizes a comparative framework to analyze the divergent paths taken by the Massachusetts Bay and Virginia colonies. By examining the persistence of English local customs, the author argues that the colonial experience was not a uniform process of Americanization but a complex negotiation between inherited traditions and new environmental pressures.

Historians frequently cite this work as a foundational text for understanding the regional variations in early American development. Scholars note the clarity of Breen's comparative methodology, which remains a standard reference for students of colonial social history.