By 1750 the colonists had more than a century of practice in governing themselves. That experience, from the House of Burgesses to Enlightenment ideas and the loose enforcement of trade laws, explains why later British policies met such resistance.
Key idea
Colonists governed themselves through elected assemblies (the House of Burgesses from 1619 and an assembly in nearly every colony), town meetings in New England and written plans of government. The assemblies held the power of the purse: they voted the taxes. The Zenger trial (1735) defended printing true criticism of officials.
Why it works
Self-government grew from distance and neglect as well as principle. London was weeks away by sea, so colonies had to make their own local laws. Most colonies had a governor (chosen by the king or a proprietor), a council and an elected assembly, a pattern that echoed England's king, House of Lords and House of Commons. Because the assembly voted taxes and often the governor's salary, it could bargain with him. Colonists came to see their assemblies as their own small parliaments.
| Type of colony | Who chose the governor | Examples |
|---|---|---|
| Royal | The king | Virginia (after 1624), New York |
| Proprietary | The proprietor (owner) | Pennsylvania, Maryland |
| Charter | The colonists themselves | Connecticut, Rhode Island |
Worked example: The Dominion of New England
In 1686 King James II merged the New England colonies (later New York and New Jersey too) into one Dominion under Governor Edmund Andros, who ruled without an elected assembly. What happened?
- Colonists resented losing their assemblies and charters.
- In 1689 news came that James II had been overthrown in England's Glorious Revolution.
- Bostonians arrested Andros, and the old colonial governments returned.
Answer: The Dominion collapsed in 1689; colonists defended their assemblies and treated the Glorious Revolution as a victory for English liberties.
Worked example: The Zenger trial
In 1735 the New York printer John Peter Zenger was tried for seditious libel for printing attacks on Governor William Cosby. Under the law then, truth was no defense. What happened?
- His lawyer, Andrew Hamilton of Philadelphia, argued that the articles were true and that people may criticize officials truthfully.
- The judge told the jury the law was against Zenger.
- The jury acquitted him anyway.
Answer: Acquittal: an early step toward freedom of the press, though the law itself did not change at once.
Common mistake
A common belief is that colonists had no say in government before 1776. They had elected assemblies for over a century, though only men who owned property could vote. Their protest after 1763 was not for a voice they had never had, but against Parliament taxing them without the consent of those assemblies.