1636

1636 was a year in the early modern period marked by ongoing conflict in Europe and expanding colonial activity in the Atlantic world. It occurred within the broader context of the Thirty Years' War, a protracted and multifront struggle that shaped political boundaries, religion, and military tactics across Central Europe.

In Europe, one of the notable military events of 1636 was the Battle of Wittstock, fought in October near Wittstock. The engagement ended in a Swedish victory and is regarded as a significant turning point that helped sustain Protestant military power in northern Germany during the later phases of the war. The conflict continued to redraw allegiances and influence the balance of power among major states in the region.

In North America, the year saw important institutional and colonial developments. Harvard College was founded in Cambridge, Massachusetts, as the first higher education institution established in the English-speaking colonies. Its establishment reflected the Puritan emphasis on education and religious training. Separately, Roger Williams founded Providence Plantations along the Narragansett Bay, an early settlement that would contribute to the formation of Rhode Island and its tradition of religious tolerance.

Beyond Europe and New England, European powers maintained and expanded colonial networks across the Atlantic and in Asia and Africa through trade, settlement, and diplomacy. The year 1636 thus sits within a period of rapid geopolitical change, where European conflicts influenced global exploration, colonization, and cultural exchange.