Question

Which of the following best describes the state of self-government in British Colonial America in the 1600s?

The colonies were entirely controlled by Britain.
Many of the colonies elected representative assemblies.
Most of the colonies elected their own governors.
The colonies were completely free to govern themselves.

Answer 1

Answer: B- Many of the colonies elected representative assemblies.

The colonies practiced limited forms of self-government since the early 1600s. Each of the thirteen colonies had a written agreement between the colony and the king of England, or Parliament. This agreement of royal colonies provided for direct rule by the king. A colonial legislative was elected by property holding males. But governors were appointed by the king and had almost complete authority.

Each colony had its own government but the British king controlled these governments. The colonist could not govern themselves and make their own laws. They had elected represented assemblies, in which members were elected annually, by the propertied citizens of the towns or counties.

The first Pilgrims, who landed in Plymouth, had no official agreements to govern them, so they drafted the Mayflower Compact, which in essence declare that they would rule themselves. Although they became eventually a royal colony, the pilgrims set a powerful precedent of making their own rules.

Answer 2

Many of the colonies elected representative assemblies.

The colonies had British governors in place but many also had assemblies to represent the interests of the people. During the 1600's, the colonies were mostly left alone to monitor themselves and this remained as long as the economic relationship was good.

Virginia created the House of Burgesses which was the first representative government in the colonies. Landowners were the government officials and people responsible for running the colonial governments. New England colonies were represented by a council of elders and church leaders. They also agreed to a representative colonial government in which landowning men were the only people involved in the government.