Beginnings of Self-Government

BEGINNINGS OF SELF-GOVERNMENT, The American nation owes its origin to colonizing activities in which the British, Dutch, Swedes, French and Spaniards bore a share, and which were continued during a period of more than two centuries at the beginning of the modern era. The settle ments of the Dutch and Swedes (New Netherland and New Sweden) were soon merged in those of the British, and of the territory colonized by Frenchmen and Spaniards the United States, as it was in 1783, included only certain outlying regions. All the European nations which were interested in colonization shared in the enterprise, and the population of the region was therefore cosmopolitan from the outset; but the British, es pecially after 166o, secured a controlling influence.

Permanent settlements on the Atlantic seaboard were first made in the early years of the 17th century, and they continued steadily to increase until after 1680. Relatively speaking, that was the period of settlement, but population continued slowly to advance westward. In the 18th century occurred a large im migration of Germans and Scottish-Irish, who settled in Penn sylvania and New York and thence overflowed into the western parts of Virginia and the Carolinas. The only Colony founded in the 18th century was Georgia (1732), by means of which British outposts on the Florida frontier were strengthened.

General Aspects of Colonization.

British colonization originated chiefly in private initiative, though it acted in half conscious obedience to certain general principles. To this fact is due the trend toward self-government, which was fundamental and controlling in the history of the British on the American continent. But to an extent the tendencies which favoured self government were counteracted by the influence of the British Crown and parliament. The influence of the Crown was con tinuous, except during the period of the Civil War and Common wealth (1642-60, while that of parliament was not felt until the middle of the 17th century, and its colonial legislation sub sequent to that time was chiefly confined to matters of trade. The activities of Crown and parliament were directed toward the securing of imperial interests and of that degree of sub ordination and conformity which, in States that have developed from Roman and feudal origins, attaches to the condition of colonies or dependencies. The term "imperial control" there fore suggests the second tendency in colonial affairs, to the dis cussion of which the historian must address himself.

Among the colonists the trend toward local independence and self-government was in harmony with the spirit of the English.

' Neither was it lacking among the other nationalities represented in the Colonies. But in the case of the British it was greatly strengthened by the fact that the Colonies were founded by pri vate initiative, the government legalizing the efforts of the "adventurers" and planters, but leaving them in many cases al most wholly to themselves. Hence many small Colonies and settlements were founded. A variety of motives—economic, re ligious and political—contributed to the founding of these Colonies, and naturally people correspondingly different in type came to inhabit them. The remoteness of the Colonies from Europe and the difficulties under which communication with them was maintained confirmed and perpetuated the tendency toward independence. Somewhat similar conditions controlled intercolonial relations, kept the colonists apart from one another and checked co-operation. Thus it was that the causes which confirmed the colonists in the spirit of independence toward the mother country also made them jealous of external authority.

Chartered Colonies.

The term "chartered Colonies" is the one which best describes the forms under which the British American settlements were founded and under which they all continued for varying periods. They were the direct and charac teristic results of private initiative. The discoverers and would be colonizers, acting individually or in groups, collected the ships, men and resources necessary for their enterprises, and pro cured from the Crown a charter. By this document the King conveyed to them a claim to the soil which would be valid in English law, gave them the right to transfer Englishmen thither, to trade with them and with the natives, and to govern the Colony, subject to the conditions of allegiance and of British sovereignty in general. The rights and liberties of the colonists as British subjects, without attempt to define what they were, were guaranteed by the charters, and the grantee was prohibited from passing laws or issuing orders which were repugnant to those of England. In only a part of the charters—those chiefly which were issued subsequent to 166o—was express reference made to the calling of assemblies. So general were the provisions of the charters that they only remotely determined the forms which government should assume and what the rights of the colonists should be. A considerable variety of institutions and social types existed under them. But their very indefiniteness made them valuable as objects of appeal to those who in time of controversy were upholding local rights and liberties.