The First New England Was There

"The First New England Was There" ranks 2nd in the list of shocking facts about the Byzantine Empire. When someone mentions New England these days, you can bet they're referring to the Northeast United States, specifically Massachusetts. However, that New England was not the first to be established. When a group of English immigrants came in the year 1075, the Byzantine Empire had its own New England.

Over 4,000 English immigrants arrived in the area, the majority of whom dubbed the area Nova Anglia, which meaning New England. At the time, the Byzantines employed English soldiers to supplement their ranks, as well as Scandinavian soldiers. Byzantine forces respected English mercenaries. The Norman conquest of 1066 occurred shortly after the establishment of New England, and many of these English people would have been refugees from the conflict.

Because the Normans were now at war with the Byzantine Empire, the English would have had even more motive to ally with Byzantium and battle their foes once more. The site of Byzantine New England remains a mystery. Many Englishmen joined the army of Constantinople, according to documents, but where they may have settled is lost to history.