Outline of US History by U.S. Department of State - HTML preview

CHAPTER 2: THE COLONIAL PERIOD

Still, the colonies considered Calverts in Maryland, William Penn

themselves chiefly as common- in Pennsylvania, the proprietors in

wealths or states, much like England North and South Carolina, and the

itself, having only a loose association proprietors in New Jersey specified

with the authorities in London . In that legislation should be enacted

one way or another, exclusive rule with “the consent of the freemen .”

from the outside withered away . The

In New England, for many years,

colonists — inheritors of the long there was even more complete self-

English tradition of the struggle government than in the other col-

for political liberty — incorporated onies . Aboard the Mayflower, the concepts of freedom into Virginia’s Pilgrims adopted an instrument for

first charter . It provided that Eng- government cal ed the “Mayflower

lish colonists were to exercise all Compact,” to “combine ourselves to-

liberties, franchises, and immuni- gether into a civil body politic for our

ties “as if they had been abiding and better ordering and preservation . .

born within this our Realm of Eng- and by virtue hereof [to] enact, con-

land .” They were, then, to enjoy the stitute, and frame such just and equal

benefits of the Magna Carta — the laws, ordinances, acts, constitutions,

charter of English political and civ- and offices . . as shall be thought most il liberties granted by King John in meet and convenient for the general

1215 — and the common law — the good of the colony . . . .”

English system of law based on legal

Although there was no legal basis

precedents or tradition, not statutory for the Pilgrims to establish a system law . In 1618 the Virginia Company of self-government, the action was

issued instructions to its appointed not contested, and, under the com-

governor providing that free inhab- pact, the Plymouth settlers were able

itants of the plantations should elect for many years to conduct their own

representatives to join with the gov- affairs without outside interference .

ernor and an appointive council in

A similar situation developed in

passing ordinances for the welfare of the Massachusetts Bay Company,

the colony .

which had been given the right to

These measures proved to be govern itself . Thus, full authority

some of the most far-reaching in the rested in the hands of persons re-

entire colonial period . From then siding in the colony . At first, the

on, it was generally accepted that the dozen or so original members of the

colonists had a right to participate in company who had come to America

their own government . In most in- attempted to rule autocratically . But

stances, the king, in making future the other colonists soon demanded

grants, provided in the charter that a voice in public affairs and indi-

the free men of the colony should cated that refusal would lead to a

have a voice in legislation affecting mass migration .

them . Thus, charters awarded to the

The company members yield-

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OUTLINE OF U.S. HISTORY

ed, and control of the government the settlers had come to a land of

passed to elected representatives . seemingly unending reach . On such

Subsequently, other New England a continent, natural conditions pro-

colonies — such as Connecticut and moted a tough individualism, as

Rhode Island — also succeeded in people became used to making their

becoming self-governing simply by own decisions . Government pene-

asserting that they were beyond any trated the backcountry only slowly,

governmental authority, and then and conditions of anarchy often pre-

setting up their own political sys- vailed on the frontier .

tem modeled after that of the Pil-

Yet the assumption of self-gov-

grims at Plymouth .

ernment in the colonies did not go

In only two cases was the self- entirely unchallenged . In the 1670s,

government provision omitted . the Lords of Trade and Plantations,

These were New York, which was a royal committee established to en-

granted to Charles II’s brother, the force the mercantile system in the

Duke of York (later to become King colonies, moved to annul the Massa-

James II), and Georgia, which was chusetts Bay charter because the col-

granted to a group of “trustees .” In ony was resisting the government’s

both instances the provisions for economic policy . James II in 1685

governance were short-lived, for the approved a proposal to create a Do-

colonists demanded legislative rep- minion of New England and place

resentation so insistently that the au- colonies south through New Jersey

thorities soon yielded .

under its jurisdiction, thereby tight-

In the mid-17th century, the ening the Crown’s control over the

English were too distracted by whole region . A royal governor, Sir

their Civil War (1642-49) and

Edmund Andros, levied taxes by ex-

Oliver Cromwell’s Puritan Com- ecutive order, implemented a num-

monwealth to pursue an effective ber of other harsh measures, and

colonial policy . After the restora- jailed those who resisted .

tion of Charles II and the Stuart

When news of the Glorious Rev-

dynasty in 1660, England had more olution (1688-89), which deposed

opportunity to attend to colonial James II in England, reached Boston,

administration . Even then, how- the population rebelled and impris-

ever, it was inefficient and lacked oned Andros . Under a new charter,

a coherent plan . The colonies were Massachusetts and Plymouth were

left largely to their own devices .

united for the first time in 1691 as

The remoteness afforded by a vast the royal colony of Massachusetts

ocean also made control of the colo- Bay . The other New England colo-

nies difficult . Added to this was the nies quickly reinstalled their previ-

character of life itself in early Amer- ous governments .

ica . From countries limited in space

The English Bill of Rights and

and dotted with populous towns, the Toleration Act of 1689 affirmed

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