Formation of the New England Confederation

Timeline

1. 1643New England · New EnglandIn the aftermath of the Pequot War, amid continuing Indigenous pressure and the backdrop of the English Civil War, representatives of the four colonies negotiated joint defense and mutual-aid terms, drafting the Articles of Confederation with two votes per colony and a confederation council of eight commissioners.
2. 1643Boston · Massachusetts BayThe four colonies formally signed the treaty, establishing the United Colonies of New England. The confederation undertook joint military operations, extradition of criminals, and boundary coordination, but did not interfere with each colony's internal religious and self-governance affairs, becoming the earliest institutionalized framework of cooperation among North American colonies.