This is a collection of stimulating essays written by leading historians on the origins of the radical tradition in England and the United States. Covering the period from the early seventeenth century to the late eighteenth century, the essays seek to illuminate a variety of important topics crucial to the study of radicalism - its intellectual and ideological underpinnings, the role of workers and women in radical movements, and types of religious radicalism. They also explore various attempts to invent a radical culture and to make radical politics in a world ruled by custom, consensus and the force of deference. With their double focus on England and America, these essays will encourage the student to draw parallels between the two cultures, to think across national boundaries, and to come to terms with a vital historical tradition not just as a series of great ideas but also as a lived social and political experience.