Massachusetts Bay Colony Analysis

432 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Self-government in American colonies

Government in the Original 13 Colonies Just like any group of people, the colonists required a government to maintain order. The Virginia Company, Massachusetts Bay Company, and the Pilgrims all needed a form of self-government. The Virginia Company (also called London Company) was establishing their colony for profit and economic opportunities. They needed a charter, or a document from the king that gave them certain rights. King James I granted the Virginia Company the right to assemble a council to govern its colony with First Virginia Charter (April 10, 1609). This council should “consist of thirteen parsons…and shall from time to time have the superior managing and direction onlie of and for all matters that shall or may concern the government...” …show more content…

They were granted the authority of self-government in the Charter of Massachusetts Bay Colony (1629). This included a Governor, a Deputy Governor, and eighteen assistants. These people should be “from tyme to tyme constituted, elected, and chosen out of the Freemen of the saide Company.” John Winthrop, the leader of the colony, created “A City Upon the Hill.” They thought their establishment was a shining example of a Christian society. Lastly, the Pilgrims wanted to establish a settlement at Plymouth. These travelers wanted religious freedom. They wrote the Mayflower Compact (1620), which was an agreement to self-government. Although, the compact states, “we promise all due submission and obedience.” The Pilgrims promised to follow the rules and will of the King. But, the colonists were allowed to made decisions based on majority-rule. This form of government is called a direct democracy. King James I granted the charters because he was unable to govern them himself. He would need to be in the area to properly rule the colonists. The voyage across the Atlantic was very dangerous, and its conditions not suitable for a

Show More
Related

  • Massachusetts Bay Colony John Winthrop Analysis

    378 Words  | 1 Pages

    Hmmm…this was a very interesting letter written by John Winthrop to Sir Nathaniel Rich and is definitely very different from Sebastian Brandt’s letter describing Jamestown. Winthrop is the first governor (and very proud!) of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and clearly wrote this letter with authority and confidence. As the governor, he also had the “burden” to prove to the audience, in this case, Sir Nathaniel Rich, a wealthy Puritan sympathizer in England, that the Colony was thriving and in good condition. In contrast, Winthrop’s 1631 letter to his wife had a much different tone. In it, he wrote that the Massachusetts colony was not faring well until a ship bearing supplies finally arrived. It is clear that Boston wasn’t faring as well as it

    Read More

  • Comparing Chesapeake and New England Bay Colonies

    1331 Words  | 3 Pages

    silence. Living from “hand to mouth” induced the gold miners to only be able to

    Read More

  • Dbq Colonial New England and Chesapeake Regions

    905 Words  | 2 Pages

    On his way to the New World, aboard the Arabella in 1630, John Winthrop, Puritan leader of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, spoke of the plan that he had in store for the colony. He preached that there would be equality in the new colony and that they "… must be knit together in this work as one man." He spoke about the importance of community in the colony that was vital for the survival of the colony. His statements made on the Arabella are to the ideas in the Articles of Agreement, which compiled in Springfield, Massachusetts in 1636. In the Articles of Agreement, the community was to contain forty families—rich and poor. In the Articles of Agreement, the concern for comfort and quality of life (for families) is outlined. They again put emphasis on the importance of unity in the colony and they also express that social classes do not determine what a person is. In Connecticut, the colonists set up regulations for wages and price; these rules were made to include poor settlers in trading and the economy by keeping the prices in the colony "fair." Since the colonists in the New England region was untied "as one" in each colony, this was one way that caused them to become a different society from the Che...

    Read More

  • Chesapeake And New England Colony Dbq

    1129 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Crusades of the middle ages introduced much innovative and formerly unheard of merchandise into Western Europe; however the scarcity of these luxury goods instilled Europeans with drive to find easier access to the Far East. Although desired "Northwest Passage" never was found, joint-stock companies, like the Virginia Company of London, settled colonies in the New World for untapped resources such as silver and other tradable goods. Many more corporations followed suit, settling mainly in the Chesapeake Bay area, their small settlements eventually developing into the Chesapeake colonies. The Chesapeake colonies were focused primarily on profitable enterprises. At the same time, the New England colonies were being settled with a whole different set of initiatives, principally religious freedoms and family. Governing bodies were established, with their success dependent on the quality of the settlers the colony attracted. The different motives for settlement affected the routine events in such a way that the New England and Chesapeake colonies differed very greatly from one another even though they were both mainly settled by the English.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Crucible And Massachusetts Bay Colony

    259 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Crucible is set in 1600’s Salem, Massachusetts. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was the second colony established in the new world, forming in 1629. Puritans sought a new place where they could establish more religious freedom than England and could purify themselves from Catholicism. The Massachusetts Bay colony was eventually settled by a Puritan company by the name of Massachusetts Bay Company, which was a joint stock company that was given a royal charter by King Charles I. The Massachusetts Bay Colony was quickly established as a theocratic government with John Endecott as the first governor.

    Read More

  • Self-government in the Early Colonies

    454 Words  | 1 Pages

    How were the seeds for self-government sown in the early colonies? Why was this important when England started to enforce rules (such as the Intolerable Acts)?  Please give specific examples.

    Read More

  • A Comparison Of The New England And The Chesapeake Bay Colonies

    980 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the 1700's, people in the American colonies lived in very distinctive societies. While some colonists led hard lives, others were healthy and prosperous. The two groups who showed these differences were the colonists of the New England and Chesapeake Bay areas. The differentiating characteristics among the Chesapeake and New England colonies developed due to economy, religion, and motives for colonial expansion. The colonists of the New England area possessed a very happy and healthy life. This high way of living was due in part to better farming, a healthier environment, and a high rate of production because of more factories. The colonists of the Chesapeake Bay region, on the other hand, led harder lives compared to that of the colonists of New England. The Chesapeake Bay had an unhealthy environment, bad eating diets, and intolerable labor.

    Read More

  • British Rule In Britain During The 1700s

    567 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the 1700s, Britain ruled over the colonies. The colonies had been discovered and settled by the British. The British believed that the colonies were British territories and were to be ruled as if they were British territories. The colonies did not like this. The Founding Fathers agreed that it was time for a change and sought to rebel from, and declare independence from the British. The Founding Fathers were justified in rebelling and declaring independence because the British rule had become oppressive, Britain was too small and too far away from the colonies to be in any position to rule over them, and the colonies had become large enough to become their own nation.

    Read More

  • The Chesapeake Colonies and New England Colonies

    1270 Words  | 3 Pages

    In 1607, King James I. granted a charter to the Virginia Company which allowed them to start a colony in the New World. This colony was named Virginia after the virgin queen, Queen Elizabeth I, and was located along the Chesapeake Bay. The Virginia Company sought to build a permanent settlement, and was successful in establishing Jamestown. Virginia was also home to nearly 14,000 Algonquin speaking Native Americans who were united under the Powhatan Confederacy lead by Chief Powhattan. Other Chesapeake Bay colonies include North Carolina, whose population became dominant in African Americans with a large amount of settlers from Barbados, and Maryland. Maryland was established by the Calvert Family after King Charles I. granted 10 million acres of land to the family. Maryland became the only British colony to ever have a Catholic minority, and the population of Maryland also consisted of indentured servants, slaves, and many farmers. The Chesapeake Bay was a very hot area a...

    Read More

  • Development of Colonies

    937 Words  | 2 Pages

    Furthermore, according to professor Foner, each colony experienced distinct political development. In Virginia, the crown appointed governor, and local elite was in charge of the colony’s advancement. There was also the county court, or the Justices of Peace. Only the colonial assembly was elected. The House of Burgesses, established in 1639, was the first legislature in Jamestown. Contrary to Virginia, Maryland was a proprietary colony settled in 1632. The charter granted Cecilius Calver...

    Read More

  • The Pros and Cons of British Colonies

    670 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the 1600’s there was the foundations of representative government. In the 1600’s the colonists came up with something called a democracy. A democracy is a government in which people rule themselves. The colonists had voted for many certain laws. They ruled themselves by using the laws of society. The carter named “Magna Carta” was a character of liberties which was agreed by King John of England, it had made the king obey the same laws as the citizens. Protestantism is a branch within Christianity; this was mostly participated during the 16th century. These were people who had reformed certain practices in the Catholic churches. On November 11, 1620 the Mayflower Compact was signed. The Mayflower Compact is a legal contract which was agreed to have fair laws to protect the good.

    Read More

  • The Mayflower Compact

    403 Words  | 1 Pages

    Most of the Pilgrims were members of the Separatist congregation that had split from the Church of England. However, some were not, and these people sought independence from the Separatists. To prevent this, Separatist leaders wrote the Compact, which was formed after the covenant that had established their Separatist faith. Each male adult signed the document. The signers agreed to follow all "just and equal" laws that the settlers enacted and to be ruled by the will of majority. Plymouth Colony did not receive an English royal charter, and so the compact determined governmental authority in the colony until it became part of the Massachusetts colony in 1691. They thought that they needed to this to survive, because they needed rules. Without this they might have ended up killing each other. People thought with this it would give equal power to the separatist and the people who was against them. Was also good because it kept mutiny contained.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast Virginia And Massachusetts Colonies

    926 Words  | 2 Pages

    In the early stages of North American colonization by the English, the colony of Jamestown, Virginia was founded in 1607 (Mailer Handout 1 (6)). Soon after the Massachusetts Bay Colony was founded in 1629 (Mailer Handout 2 (1)). These two colonies, although close in the time they were founded, have many differences in aspects of their lives and the way they were settled. The colonies have a different religious system, economic system, political system, and they have a different way of doing things; whether that be pertaining to making money, practicing religion, or electing governors. Along with the differences, there are also a sameness between these two colonies. Each colony has been derived from England and has been founded by companies

    Read More

  • The Chesapeake and New England Colonies: A Comparison

    990 Words  | 2 Pages

    During the late 16th century and into the 17th century, European nations rapidly colonized the newly discovered Americas. England in particular sent out numerous groups to the eastern coast of North America to two regions. These two regions were known as the Chesapeake and the New England areas. Later, in the late 1700's, these two areas would bond to become one nation. Yet from the very beginnings, both had very separate and unique identities. These differences, though very numerous, spurred from one major factor: the very reason the settlers came to the New World. This affected the colonies in literally every way, including economically, socially, and politically.

    Read More

  • Primary Differences between Colonial America and England

    947 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...olonists’ needs so the colonists began to gain confidence in a governmental system that did not rely on a king.

    Read More

More about Massachusetts Bay Colony Analysis

Open Document