Dedham, Norfolk County, The Colony of Massachusetts Bay, British Colonial America (North America)

Dedham began with the first settlers' arrival in 1635 The Puritans who built the village on what the Indians called Tiot incorporated the plantation in 1636. They devised a form of government in which almost every freeman could participate and eventually chose selectmen to run the affairs of the town. They then formed a church and nearly every family had at least one member Dedham is one of the few towns founded during the colonial era that has preserved extensive records of its earliest years.