State governments after the Revolution transitioned from their colonial precursors by creating republican governments with greater democratic principles. They emphasized the consent of the governed, granted more power to elected legislatures, and worked to secure individual liberties, reducing the role of the governor to an administrator.
State governments differed from colonial governments primarily in their move towards greater democracy and self-governance.
- During the colonial era, each of the thirteen colonies had a charter and a form of government that mirrored the British system, which included a governor appointed by the king, and a colonial legislature elected by property-holding males.
- Colonial assemblies often made decisions with considerable autonomy due to the impracticalities of close oversight from England, and they progressively pushed for more power.
After the American Revolution, the newly independent states began framing their own governments. Unlike the colonial legislatures, which were influenced by royal governors, the new state governments were based on republican principles and the consent of the governed.
They were composed of a legislature, a chief executive, and a judiciary, with the majority of power often resting with the legislative assembly. The governor's role was reduced to that of an administrator. These new state governments introduced innovations such as equal representation, rotation in office, and in some cases, expanded electorates, such as allowing single women to vote in New Jersey.
As states transitioned from colonies, political thought in the Revolutionary Era shaped the formation of republican governments that emphasized the need to secure the people's liberties from abuse by the state. The debates over state constitutions reflected a variety of ideas about government structure, the legislative branch, and the composition of the electorate, ultimately influencing the drafting of the national constitution.