Massachusetts Had No Capital in 1628—The Colony Didn't Exist Yet
There was no capital of Massachusetts in 1628—because the Massachusetts Bay Colony was not founded until March 4, 1629.
Timeline
| Date | Event |
|---|
| 1620 | Plymouth Colony founded (separate; capital: Plymouth) |
| 1628 | New England Company (precursor) gets charter; John Endecott leads advance party to Naumkeag (Salem) |
| March 4, 1629 | Massachusetts Bay Company charter issued (Charles I); colony formally established |
| 1629 | Endecott governs at Salem (first seat) |
| 1630 | Winthrop fleet arrives; capital moves to Boston (Shawmut Peninsula) |
| 1691 | Plymouth + Massachusetts Bay merged → Province of Massachusetts Bay (capital: Boston) |
1628 Context
- Endecott's party (~100 settlers) at Naumkeag (renamed Salem 1629)
- Plymouth Colony (70 mi south) = only permanent English settlement in region
- Native nations: Massachusett, Wampanoag, Nipmuc, Pennacook
- European presence: Seasonal fishing/trading stations (Cape Ann, 1623)
Why the Confusion?
- 1628/1629 charter dates often conflated
- Endecott's 1628 arrival seen as "founding" (but charter came 1629)
- Plymouth (1620) vs. Massachusetts Bay (1629) distinction blurred
Boston has been the continuous capital since 1630—making it one of America's oldest capital cities, but in 1628, the concept of "Massachusetts" as a colony was still a charter application.
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