Final answer:
A charter is an official document granting rights for governance and land ownership under certain conditions, which in Colonial America, allowed colonies to set up a legal framework for self-governance consistent with English rights and liberties.
Step-by-step explanation:
A charter is an official written document that outlines the terms and conditions under which a colony, town, city, university, or institution is granted the rights for governance, which were historically subject to the approval of a monarch or the ruling body. In the context of Colonial America, charters granted by the British Crown served as foundational governance documents that established the legal rights for colonies to exist and operate. These colonial charters often included provisions that guaranteed the colonists some of the rights and liberties of Englishmen, including the right to elect representatives and ownership of land through systems like the Headright System. They also detailed the administrative structure of the settlements, such as the establishment of a General Assembly in the Virginia Colony or the General Court in the Massachusetts Bay Colony.