Introduction

There has been a serious lack of historical investigation of AngloAmerican attitudes in the widest sense of the phrase. While many studies of 'Anglo-American relations' exist, they have focused primarily on diplomatic and government-to-government contacts rather than on social, economic, intellectual, or cultural connections. As a result there has been insufficient appreciation of the chronological depth and contextual breadth of Anglo-American connections. Historians have lavished attention on the problematic separation of the American colonies from England and on episodes of conflict or partnership between the two nations in the international arena, but their preoccupation with such topics has fostered a view of Anglo-American relations as discontinuous, rekindled only at moments of disagreement or co-operation.