New England 17th Century Historical Sketch

The following is a very brief historical sketch of 17th century New England to establish the background for the history of the first, second and third generations of the White-Winslow Family.

1620 - The Mayflower arrives with 102 passengers, and the Plymouth Colony is established.

1630 - The Massachusetts Bay Colony is established, north of Plymouth around Boston and Salem.

1630-1640 - The Great Migration occurs wherein at least 20,000 new immigrants from England, most being Puritans, arrive by ship to become new colonists. The vast majority of these new arrivals choose the Massachusetts Bay Colony over the Plymouth Colony.

1636 - The Pequot War - a war between the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the Pequot Indian nation. It was a savage but brief war, concluded as a victory by the Bay Colony.

1636 - Roger Williams established a colony which will eventually be called Rhode Island. Williams was a refugee from the religious intolerance of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

1636 - Colonies are also established in what eventually became the Connecticut Colony, as a result of other refugees from the Massachusetts Bay Colony seeking religious freedom.

1642-1646 - The period of the English Civil War, which had a reverse effect on immigration wherein many Puritans from the colonies went back to England to fight for Oliver Cromwell and his Parliamentarians.

1649 - Charles I of England is beheaded, and England becomes a Commonwealth under the rule of Oliver Cromwell - Lord Protector. Thus, Puritanism becomes legitimized.

1660 - The Restoration, when England becomes a monarchy again and Charles II ascends the throne. Puritanism loses its political power.

1675-76 - King Philip's War. King Philip is the name of the leader of the Indians. The colonialists won, but suffered a severe economic downturn as a result of the war for many years after. Several Indian nations were almost annihilated.

1691 - Massachusetts Bay Colony and Plymouth Colony are united into one Massachusetts Colony, by order of the British Crown.

1692 - The Salem Witch Trials.