Page:Cambridge Modern History Volume 7.djvu/9

 PREFACE. TN accordance with the original plan of the Cambridge Modern -- History, this volume narrates the history of Canada, and of the colonies, French and English, connected with it, from their discovery down to the time at which Canada passed under the British Crown; secondly, that of the other English colonies in North America from their origin to the Declaration of Independence ; and, finally, the history of these colonies after they had become the United States, from 1776 down to the present day. The departure from the general plan of this work, in thus presenting a continuous narrative of the history of a single nation during some three hundred years, is more apparent than real. The principle of arrangement laid down by Lord Acton was that the history of each people should be taken up at the point at which it was drawn into the main stream of human progress, as represented by the European nations. In the case of the North American colonies, this change may be said to have taken place in the latter half of the eighteenth century, especially during the Seven Years' War and the War of Independence. Consequently the earlier history of North America would naturally fall to be considered at the point where it is treated in our scheme, namely about the close of the reign of Louis XV and immediately before the French Revolution. But, although an intimate relation between America and Europe was established during the period 1756-1783, and although the outbreak of the French Revolution was partly due to this connexion, it was again severed after the Peace of Versailles, to be renewed only occasionally during many years. For upwards of a century from that date the United States remained, in a sense, an alter orbis, standing forth indeed as a primary example of a successful and progressive federated republic, and, as such, exerting a constant influence on the political thought of Europe, but not otherwise affecting the course of European affairs, and little affected