1631day.year
The Massachusetts Bay Colony outlaws the possession of cards, dice, and gaming tables.
In 1631, the Massachusetts Bay Colony bans playing cards, dice, and gaming tables to curb gambling.
Religious leaders in the Puritan colony viewed games of chance as morally corrupt and a threat to social order. The 1631 law prohibited the possession and use of cards, dice, and gaming tables, prescribing fines for violators. Authorities believed gambling distracted citizens from piety and productive labor. Despite the ban, underground gaming persisted in taverns and private homes. The prohibition reflects the strict moral codes governing early Massachusetts society. Similar laws appeared in other Puritan settlements, shaping colonial attitudes toward leisure. These regulations illustrate the intertwining of law, religion, and daily life. Over time, enforcement waned as social norms evolved.
1631
Massachusetts Bay Colony
cards
dice
1638day.year
Anne Hutchinson is expelled from Massachusetts Bay Colony for religious dissent.
In 1638, Anne Hutchinson is banished from the Massachusetts Bay Colony after challenging Puritan orthodoxy.
A charismatic preacher and mother of 15, Hutchinson held meetings criticizing the colony’s ministers and promoting a covenant of grace. Her outspoken views on individual revelation threatened the male-dominated religious hierarchy. After a trial before Governor Winthrop and other magistrates, she was convicted of heresy and sedition. Hutchinson was forced to leave and settled first in Rhode Island and later New York. Her trial highlighted tensions over religious freedom and the limits of dissent in Puritan New England. Hutchinson’s resilience made her an early symbol of religious liberty. Though marginalized at the time, her legacy influenced later debates on free speech and gender roles. The event remains a landmark in American religious history.
1638
Anne Hutchinson
Massachusetts Bay Colony
1972day.year
The United States Congress sends the Equal Rights Amendment to the states for ratification.
In 1972, the US Congress approved and sent the Equal Rights Amendment to the states, seeking to guarantee legal equality irrespective of sex.
On March 22, 1972, both houses of the United States Congress passed the Equal Rights Amendment and forwarded it to the states for ratification.
The amendment aimed to prohibit discrimination based on sex under the US Constitution, advancing the women's rights movement.
It required ratification by three-fourths of the state legislatures to become law.
Despite initial momentum, ERA ratification stalled as opponents raised political and social objections.
The debate over the ERA underscored broader struggles for gender equality and continues to resonate in contemporary legal discourse.
1972
Equal Rights Amendment