Massachusetts Timeline
Four centuries of the Commonwealth — from first European contact to the industrial age and beyond.
Gosnold Reaches Cape Cod
Bartholomew Gosnold lands on Cape Cod, naming it for the abundant codfish. The first recorded English encounter with the Massachusetts coast.
Plymouth Colony Founded
The Mayflower's passengers establish the first permanent English settlement in New England at Patuxet, renamed Plymouth.
Boston Founded
John Winthrop's fleet establishes Boston, which grows into the political and commercial heart of New England.
Salem Witch Trials
Hysteria grips Essex County. Twenty people are executed in one of colonial America's darkest chapters.
New Bedford Turns to Whaling
Joseph Rotch arrives from Nantucket, setting New Bedford on its course to become the whaling capital of the world.
Lexington and Concord
"The shot heard round the world" — Massachusetts farmers stand against British regulars, igniting the American Revolution.
Fall River's First Mill
The Fall River Manufactory opens along the Quequechan, beginning the city's rise as America's textile leader.
Charles W. Morgan Launched
The whaling ship Charles W. Morgan slides into the Acushnet River at New Bedford — today the last surviving American whaleship.
Moby-Dick Published
Herman Melville's masterpiece, opening in New Bedford, transforms American literature forever.
New Bedford at Its Peak
The whaling fleet reaches its zenith. New Bedford is called the richest city per capita in the world.
Lewis Hine Documents the Mills
Photographer Lewis Hine captures child workers in Fall River's textile mills, fueling the national movement for labor reform.
Last Whaling Voyage
The John R. Manta sails from New Bedford — the final commercial whaling voyage from the city that defined the industry.