The_Role_Of_Self-Government_As_The_Colonies_Developed

The Role Of Self-Government As The Colonies Developed The government in Massachusetts began with the Mayflower Compact, an agreement signed by the Pilgrims pledging that they would set up a theocracy, a political system headed by the clergy. In the compact, they also pledged loyalty to support and follow England. Seven years later, the Massachusetts Bay Company, under John Winthrope, coming for economic and religious reasons, set up a general court. This type of government started with 18 elected freemen, or white, male, wealthy, land-owning puritans. This government had many problems. The fact that only 18 people were representing the mass of colonists in Massachusetts caused misrepresentation of the majority of the colony. The elected freemen made decisions that looked to their own interests rather than to the good of the colony. Also, this general court only met four times a year, which is far too little to get any important, every day decisions made. Other colonies with a unicameral, or one house assembly, government includes New Jersey and New York. New Jersey, before 1702, was proprietary; the business owners made decisions. This type of government is an autocracy. After 1702, the King of England appointed a governor and council, and there was one house of elected freemen. New government, england, new, colonies, freemen, king, america, set, say, power, house, governor, far, elected, colony, years, two, problems, one, massachusetts, made, jersey, haven, gave, decisions, commoners, bicameral, assembly, york, year, vote, upper, under, type, times, through