18 Sep 1636: Harvard College founded The General Court of Massachusetts Bay Colony established Harvard College, the first institution of higher learning in the United States.
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1639
14 Jan 1639: Fundamental Orders of Connecticut The settlements of Windsor, Hartford, and Wethersfield adopted the "Fundamental Orders," considered to be the first written constitution in America.
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1643
25 Sep 1643: New England Confederation formed The colonies of Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven formed a military alliance for mutual defense against Native Americans.
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1652
30 May 1652: Rhode Island outlawed slavery Rhode Island passed a law prohibiting slavery, though it was largely ignored and later repealed.
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1663
24 Mar 1663: Carolina Charter granted King Charles II granted a charter to eight proprietors to establish the Carolina colony.
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1664
2 Sep 1664: English seize New Netherland The English fleet seized the Dutch colony of New Netherland without a fight, renaming it New York.
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1675
19 Oct 1675: King Philip's War begins A major conflict between Native Americans and New England colonists began, resulting in widespread destruction and significant loss of life.