Massachusetts Bay Colony (1628-1691 CE) was the largest English settlement in New England and the most influential both in the colonization of the region and later developments in what would become the United States of America. It was founded and developed by Puritans, religious reformers who sought to 'purify' the policies and practices of the Anglican Church of Catholic influences, which put them in conflict with the Church and the Crown. When persecutions of Puritans became more intense in 1629 CE, many chose to leave and settle in North America where the successful Plymouth Colony had established itself in 1620 CE.
More about: Massachusetts Bay ColonyDefinition
Timeline
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1628 - 1691Duration of the Massachusetts Bay Colony; after 1691 known as the Province of Massachusetts Bay.
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1628 - 1630Establishment of the Massachusetts Bay Colony led by Puritans seeking to evangelize the native population of North America.
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4 Mar 1628A Royal charter is granted to the Massachusetts Bay Colony by King Charles I of England allowing colonists to settle in the New World in the region of present-day Boston, Massachusetts. Sometimes given as 1629 because of calendar discrepancies. 1789: The United States Constitution goes into effect when Congress convenes at Federal Hall, New York City. 4 March then became the inaugural date for the US government until the event was moved to January in 1933 through the 20th Amendment.
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1630John Winthrop migrates to North America with 700 Puritan colonists to become governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony.
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1630 - 1649John Winthrop serves as governor or assistant governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony.
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1630 - 1636Dissent in Massachusetts Bay Colony silenced by banishing those who challenge authority.
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1630 - 1633Thomas Morton sues Plymouth Colony and Massachusetts Bay Colony to have their charters revoked; legal briefs of the lawsuit become the drafts of his book New English Canaan.
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22 Mar 1630The Massachusetts Bay Colony outlaws gambling, making it illegal to possess cards, dice, or gaming tables "under pain of punishment" to encourage proper behavior among the colonists reflecting their status as God's chosen. They would also ban the celebration of Christmas, dancing, and many other festivals and activities.
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25 Jun 1630The two-tined fork is introduced to North American dining by Governor John Winthrop of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. Prior to this event, colonists used their fingers to eat off a plate with a knife for carving and a spoon for liquids. The fork was considered a sinful luxury at first.
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1634 - 1636Roger Williams in conflict with magistrates of Massachusetts Bay Colony; banished in 1636 CE.
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1636 - 1638The Pequot War; John Winthrop presides over policy concerning the massacre and enslavement of the Pequot tribe.
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1638Anne Hutchinson banished from Massachusetts Bay Colony; founds Portsmouth, Rhode Island.
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22 Mar 1638Religious dissident Anne Hutchinson is expelled from the Massachusetts Bay Colony following an ecclesiastical trial in which she is found guilty of heretical beliefs for maintaining that one's faith was more important than one's works. She moved to Roger Williams' colony of Rhode Island and founded Portsmouth.
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25 Sep 1638The first printing press in British North America is set up in Cambridge, Massachusetts Bay Colony, to produce religious texts, producing the *Bay Psalm Book* in 1640, regarded as the first book to be printed in the British colonies.
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1675 - 1678King Philip's War in which thousands are killed as the Native Americans try to defend their land and way of life from increasing European colonization of the Americas.
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1691Plymouth Colony is absorbed into the Massachusetts Bay Colony under the latter's new charter.
