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1536
John Calvin of Geneva publishes 'Institutes of the Christian Religion'
He was the leading French Protestant Reformer and the most important figure in the second generation of the Protestant Reformation. The expansion began during Calvin's lifetime and was encouraged by him. Religious refugees poured into Geneva, especially from France during the 1550s as the French government became increasingly intolerant but also from England, Scotland, Italy, and other parts of Europe into which Calvinism had spread. -
Harvard College Founded
The college was established in 1636 by vote of Massachusetts Bay Colony and is the oldest institution of higher learning in the US and it was created in order to train Puritan ministers. -
Pequot War
Conflict between an alliance of Massachusetts Bay and Plymouth colonies, with American Indian allies (the Narragansett, and Mohegan Indians), against the Pequot Indians. This war saw the elimination of the Pequot in New England. -
King Philip's War
Was a series of assaults by Metacom, King Philip, on English settlements in New England. The attacks slowed the westward migration of New England settlers for several decades. It ended on 1676. -
Bacon's Rebellion
The rebellion was an uprising of Virginia back country farmers and indentured servants led by planter Nathaniel Bacon; initially a response to Governor William Berkeley’s refusal to protect back
country settlers from Indian attacks, the rebellion eventually grew into a broader conflict between impoverished settlers and the planter elite. -
Salem Witch Trials
The Salem witch trials occurred in colonial Massachusetts between 1692 and 1693. More than 200 people were accused of practicing witchcraft—the Devil's magic—and 20 were executed. Eventually, the colony admitted the trials were a mistake.
