Charles I, either by oversight or because of a misguided desire to put miles between himself and his Puritan enemies, approved the charter that granted self government to the Massachusetts Bay Colony, thus setting New England on a course that led to the formation of a bicameral legislature, the proclamation of Massachusetts Body of Liberties and, in 1643, to the first colonial attempt at confederation in The United Colonies of New England. Drawing on a rich and varied background of contemporary journals and documents, Williams' history shows how Puritan self government anticipated and fostered the colonies' later drive for independence. Most high school age historians will be more impressed by the close ties between English Roundheads and their cousins in New England -- a land which first served as a safety valve and escape for frustrated leaders and later, reluctantly, sent back some of its most promising youth to serve in Cromwell's armies. A sophisticated, sparkling portrait of a complex era -- during which the English parliament asserted its power and Massachusetts developed almost by accident into a community able to ""live by its wits politically, and by the sea economically.