This volume takes up current debates in comparative and historical sociology that deal with multiple modernities and civilizations. It does so through an examination of patterns of state formation, civilization and the development of capitalism in the interaction of European and American worlds over three centuries. The early part of the argument explores cutting-edge theoretical debates around the nature of early modern formations. Sections on state formation, civilizational identities and capitalist development introduce new perspectives on both Europe and America. They bring into question classical images of Western expansion and modernization, providing an alternative picture of colonialism and inter-civilizational encounters. This book brings the Atlantic zone into rich fields of sociological thinking about civilizations and modernity.