Prior to English colonization, the area was inhabited by Wabanaki Confederacy tribes. European claims began in the early 1600s, with a patchwork of competing land grants from English monarchs to various companies and individuals (such as Sir Ferdinando Gorges).
While politically separate, the long history of union left lasting marks: was maine part of massachusetts
The union between the two regions was not a single event but a gradual absorption during the colonial era: Prior to English colonization, the area was inhabited
