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"King James I grants lands to the Virginia Company of London, later called Virginia.
Thousands of settlers are drawn by tobacco, and the company grants 100 acres to
every freeman and more to those who import servants.
First convened in 1619, the House of Burgesses is given the power to make
laws and levy takes, yet actions could be vetoed by a governor and
the company council. The promise of land ownership and self-government attracts many."In 1620, Puritans, led by William Bradford, create a Mayflower Compact
to combine themselves into a single political body in Plymouth as
they lack a charter. This compact champions religious self-government
without royal intrusion.The Indian War of 1622 causes James I to revoke
the charter of the Virginia Company, making Virginia
a royal colony. The House of Burgesses is retained,
yet the governor and an advisory council are elected by
the king and his ministers and the king’s Privy Council
must ratify all laws. Such conditions became the model
for other royal colonies. Self-government is hindered yet not abolished.Other Puritans, led by John Winthrop starting in 1630, the first
governor of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, change their Joint-Stock
Corporation into a representative system with an assembly, governor,
and council. However, only Puritan churchgoing males are given the
right to vote or hold office. This system is considerably more
representative than that of Virginia.In 1632 King Charles I grants lands bordering the Chesapeake
to Lord Baltimore, who later grants an assembly the power to
initiate legislation. A proprietor and governor also hold political power.
elf-government is hindered, as with the Virginia colony, yet the ability of
colonists to initiate legislation in the assembly gives the people some power.In 1640, 3,000 settlers, originally led by William Bradford,
create representative self-government with broad rights.
This system allows more self-government than Maryland.In 1644, Roger Williams and others purged from
the Massachusetts Bay receive a corporate charter
from Parliament for the Rhode Island colony. These
individuals enjoy freedom of worship and full political
autonomy unlike the Virginia colony. However, social inequalities
among New England Puritans favor the rich. Nevertheless, most adult
males had a vote town meetingsIn 1686, Wanting greater control over the colonies, James II
pushes for the Lords of Trade to create the Dominion of
New England by revoking the Connecticut and Rhode Island charters
and merging them with Plymouth and Massachusetts Bay.
Sir Edmund Andros is elected governor of the new Dominion.In April 1689, Andros is seized and shipped back to England.
The Dominion of New England is destined to fail, allowing
the colonists greater independence in the near future.William and Mary appoint Henry Sloughter as governor in 1691.
Jacob Leisler, the previous leader who led rebellion against
the Dominion, is executed for treason. William and Mary break up the Dominion yet refuse to restore
Massachusetts Bay, creating a new royal colony in 1692 combining
Plymouth and Maine. The king is given the power to appoint the
governor and customs officials and the vote is given to all
male property owners. Self-government is limited by royal authority,
yet the ability to vote is a considerable improvement over the Dominion.In the midst of the prosperity of the South Atlantic System,
the colonies enjoyed much self-government. Assemblies limited
the power of royal officials; for example, in the 1720s in
Massachusetts, North Carolina, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania,
assemblies ignored royal instructions to provide governors with
a permanent salary.Periods
As Charles II grants proprietorships to William Penn, the Duke
of York, and others around 1663-1681, creating Pennsylvania, New York,
New Jersey, and Carolina. James II rules New York by decree and the
Carolina proprietors attempted to create a manorial system
(which ultimately failed). It was William Penn who championed religious
freedom and political equality, allowing all property-owning
men to vote and hold office.The Board of Trade gives local elites more power than
lower class individuals. An era of war in Europe makes
the English allow the colonies much independence.Although politics was largely elitist, it was incredibly difficult
for unpopular legislation to survive; displays of popular discontent
were common and often a means of influencing policy. This system of
salutary neglect would last from about 1714-1760, during the
rule of George I and George II. 
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