The First Colonial Governments
England founded colonies in America throughout the 1600s. A colony is an area of settlement in one place that
is controlled by a country in another place. The early colonists were loyal to England. They brought to America
the traditions, beliefs, and changes that had shaped England’s government. These included a strong belief in
their rights and representative government.
Jamestown
The first permanent English settlement in North America was
Jamestown. It was located in what is now Virginia. Jamestown
was founded in 1607 by the Virginia Company. The Virginia
Company was a business owned by a group of London
merchants. They asked King James I to allow them to send
some colonists to North America. The company provided the
supplies and settlers for the colony. The owners hoped the
colony would make money for the company.
At first, Jamestown was ruled by a governor and a council. The company appointed these officials. To attract
more settlers, in 1619 the company allowed the colony to make its own laws. The colonists elected leaders to
represent them in an assembly. These leaders were called burgesses. The assembly was named the House of
Burgesses. This legislature marked the beginning of self-government and representative democracy in colonial
America.
The Mayflower Compact
Soon after the House of Burgesses was formed, another group
of English colonists arrived in America. In 1620 these
Pilgrims set sail for Virginia, seeking religious freedom. A
storm in the Atlantic blew their small ship, the Mayflower, off
course. They anchored off the coast of what is now
Massachusetts instead.
The Pilgrims knew they had reached a land that had no
English government. They knew that to survive they needed
to form their own government. So they drew up a compact, or
written agreement. All the Pilgrim men aboard the ship
signed. They agreed to choose leaders and work together to
make their own laws for the colony. They also agreed to obey the laws that were made. Then the colonists went
ashore and founded the town of Plymouth.
The signers of the Mayflower Compact established a direct democracy in colonial America. The people of
Plymouth held town meetings to discuss problems and make decisions. Anyone in the town could attend and
express his or her views. However, only some male members of the colony could vote. The tradition of the town
meeting continues in much of New England today.