Body of Liberties is adopted.

Approved by the General Court and signed by Gov. Thomas Dudley, they serve as the constitutional laws for the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The 98 rights and principles are based mainly on the Old Testament and were compiled mainly by Nathaniel Ward of Ipswich. They are chosen over another set of laws, which had been compiled by Rev. John Cotton in 1636. The new laws codify the relationship between church and state, and establish 12 capital crimes (including offenses for idolatry and witchcraft). Although harsh by today’s standards, M.A. Howe later notes that in England at this time, “a sinner might lose his life by committing any one of a hundred and fifty sins.” An additional set of laws is adopted in 1648.*