A look at New England's contribution to American civilization through the men whose efforts of mind and matter made a difference to us all is inspiring in its integrity and insight. From the Mayflower Compact on, the working towards a democratic concept of government found outlets in the great men and events -- Roger Williams, Thomas Hooker, Ezra Styles, Goodyear, Whitney,-the stand against the Stamp Act, the coming of mass production. The full sense of ideas and personalities in lively biographies adds to the sense of the treasure of our inheritance.