Editing Dedham, Massachusetts (section)

===17th century===
{{Main|History of Dedham, Massachusetts, 1635–1699}}
Settled in 1635 by people from Roxbury and Watertown, Dedham was incorporated in 1636. It became the [[county seat]] of [[Norfolk County, Massachusetts|Norfolk County]] when the county was formed from parts of [[Suffolk County, Massachusetts|Suffolk County]] on March 26, 1793. When the Town was originally incorporated, the residents wanted to name it "Contentment."{{sfn|Parr|2009|p=11}} The [[Massachusetts General Court]] overruled them and named the town after [[Dedham, Essex]] in England, where some of the original inhabitants were born.{{sfn|Parr|2009|p=11}} The boundaries of the town at the time stretched to the Rhode Island border.

At the first public meeting on August 15, 1636, eighteen men signed the town covenant. They swore that they would "in the fear and reverence of our Almighty God, mutually and severally promise amongst ourselves and each to profess and practice one truth according to that most perfect rule, the foundation whereof is ever lasting love."

They also agreed that "we shall by all means labor to keep off from us all such as are contrary minded, and receive only such unto us as may be probably of one heart with us, [and such] as that we either know or may well and truly be informed to walk in a peaceable conversation with all meekness of spirit, [this] for the edification of each other in the knowledge and faith of the Lord Jesus…" The covenant also stipulated that if differences were to arise between townsmen, they would seek arbitration for resolution and each would pay his fair share for the common good.

Dedham is home to the [[Fairbanks House (Dedham, Massachusetts)|Fairbanks House]], the oldest surviving timber-frame house in the United States, scientifically dated to 1637. On January 1, 1643, by unanimous vote, Dedham <!--freeman (freemen, surely?) --> authorized the first taxpayer-funded [[Public school (government funded)|public school]], "the seed of American education."<ref name="Sacchetti" /> Its first schoolmaster, Rev. [[Ralph Wheelock]], a [[Clare College]] graduate, was paid 20&nbsp;pounds annually to instruct the youth of the community. Descendants of these students would become presidents of [[Dartmouth College]], [[Yale University]], and [[Harvard University]].

The first man-made [[canal]] in North America, [[Mother Brook]], was created in Dedham in 1639. It linked the [[Charles River]] to the [[Neponset River]]. Although both are slow-moving rivers, they are at different elevations. The difference in elevation made the canal's current swift enough to power several local mills.