1639

1639 was a year in the 17th century marked by political realignments and ongoing colonial expansion across Europe, the Middle East, and the Americas. It occurred during the later stages of the Thirty Years’ War in Central Europe and amid persistent imperial rivalries that shaped borders and governance.

In the Middle East, the Treaty of Zuhab was signed in 1639 between the Ottoman Empire and the Safavid Empire. The agreement ended a prolonged conflict and established a frontier in the Caucasus that helped stabilize the region for decades. The treaty is often cited as a foundational moment for regional border delineation and for influencing later diplomacy in the area.

In North America, the Connecticut Colony adopted the Fundamental Orders, a written framework for self-government drafted by settlers in Hartford, Windsor, and Wethersfield. The document established a system of elected representation and a governor, and it is frequently described as one of the earliest written constitutions in the Western tradition, influencing subsequent colonial and American constitutional development.

Across Europe and Asia, broader political and religious tensions continued. In Europe, fighting and shifting alliances persisted as part of the wider Thirty Years’ War. In East Asia, the Tokugawa shogunate maintained and tightened isolationist policies that limited foreign contact and Christian influence, shaping Japan’s international posture for years to come.