Book excerpt: Introductions. Money and its inventions: theoretical considerations ; England in the late sixteenth century ; English developments, 1584-1692 -- The Atlantic. Before 1630: harvesters of money ; The Puritan exodus, 1629-1640: general features ; Massachusetts takes the monetary lead, 1630-1640 ; A new hope, 1640-1660 ; The empire strikes back, 1660-1686 ; Governments and paper money projects, 1685-1689 ; The Massachusetts legislator: the case of Elisha Hutchinson ; The return of the general court, 1689-1690 -- A monetary revolution. The legal tender law, 1690 ; Aftermath, 1691-1692 ; Back to England's financial revolution, 1692-1700 ; Analysis ; Conclusion.