On This Day

Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven form the United Colonies of New England

The United Colonies of New England, commonly known as the New England Confederation, was a confederal alliance of the New England colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Saybrook (Connecticut), and…

The United Colonies of New England, commonly known as the New England Confederation, was a confederal alliance of the New England colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Saybrook (Connecticut), and New Haven formed in May 1643, during the English Civil War. Its primary purpose was to unite the Puritan colonies in support of the Congregational church, and for defense against the Native Americans and the Dutch colony of New Netherland. It was the first milestone on the long road to colonial unity and was established as a direct result of a war that started between the Indigenous Mohegan and Narragansett nations. Its charter provided for the return of fugitive criminals and indentured servants, and served as a forum for resolving inter-colonial disputes.

Historical Significance

The United Colonies of New England, commonly known as the New England Confederation, was a confederal alliance of the New England colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Saybrook (Connecticut), and New Haven formed in May 1643, during the English Civil War.

Events Before

  1. Georgeana (York) in Maine becomes the first incorporated American city

    Georgeana (York) in Maine becomes the first incorporated American city

  2. Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens discovers Mars's southern polar cap

    Dutch astronomer Christiaan Huygens discovers Mars's southern polar cap

  3. English Civil War begins between Royalists and Parliamentarians

    English Civil War begins between Royalists and Parliamentarians

  4. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman is the first European to discover Van Diemen's Land (Tasmania)

    Abel Janszoon Tasman was a Dutch seafarer and explorer, best known for his voyages of 1642 and 1644 in the service of the Dutch East India Company (VOC).

  5. Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sights the South Island of present day New Zealand; initially he calls it Staten Landt and ch

    Dutch explorer Abel Tasman sights the South Island of present day New Zealand; initially he calls it Staten Landt and changes it a year later to Nieuw Zeeland [1]

Events After

  1. Two hundred members of the Peking imperial family and court commit suicide out of loyalty to the last Ming Emperor, Chon

    Two hundred members of the Peking imperial family and court commit suicide out of loyalty to the last Ming Emperor, Chongzhen

  2. "Areopagitica", a pamphlet by John Milton decrying censorship, is published

    John Milton was an English poet, polemicist, and civil servant. His 1667 epic poem Paradise Lost was written in blank verse and included 12 books, written in a time of immense religious flux and...

  3. Perplexed pilgrims in Boston report America's first UFO sighting

    Perplexed pilgrims in Boston report America's first UFO sighting

  4. Parliamentary army wins battle of Nantwich, Cheshire, English Civil War

    Nantwich is a market town and civil parish in the unitary authority of Cheshire East in Cheshire, England.

  5. Connecticut passes the first US livestock branding law

    Connecticut passes the first US livestock branding law

More from the 1640s

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on May 19, 1643?
The United Colonies of New England, commonly known as the New England Confederation, was a confederal alliance of the New England colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Saybrook (Connecticut), and New Haven formed in May 1643, during the English Civil War. Its primary purpose was to unite the Puritan colonies in support of the Congregational church, and for defense against the Native Americans and the Dutch colony of New Netherland. It was the first milestone on the long road to colonial unity and was established as a direct result of a war that started between the Indigenous Mohegan and Narragansett nations.
Why is Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven form the United Colon... significant?
The United Colonies of New England, commonly known as the New England Confederation, was a confederal alliance of the New England colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Saybrook (Connecticut), and New Haven formed in May 1643, during the English Civil War.

Explore More