Often played down in favour of the larger competition for empire between England and France, the influence of the Spanish in English Carolina and the English in Spanish Florida created a rivalry that shaped the early history of colonial south-east America. This study is the first to tell the full story of this rivalry, working it in to the historiography of both colonies.Looking at the region in detail, Grady examines the relations between the English and Spanish colonists and the Native American population. Numerous indigenous tribes represented the real power in these regions, with colonial rivalries often being played out through the manipulation of these fragile friendships. Such a detailed, regional approach allows a rich, vibrant narrative to tell a story of political, economic, cultural and social interaction through varying perspectives, placing the disparate groups into the context of a much larger historical tapestry.