Introduction
King Charles II began handing out grants to his subjects (The process). The grants gave them ownership of land and the authority to govern that land. These grants were handed out to a single man or a group of men. The king handed out the grants for two main reasons. One was to pay financial and political debts he owed to his subjects. The second reason was to bestow favors on his loyal subjects. These lands given out were referred to as proprietary colonies. Other forms of colonies that existed were the royal colonies and charter colonies. Five colonies were begun in this way. These are Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, North Carolina and South Carolina (Norton et al 53-61).
Main Text
The proprietary colonies were ruled by governors who were land owners. An English form of government was used to govern the land. The people who lived in these colonies could elect representatives to represent them in the assembly of freemen. The governors sometimes settled people by selling the land at cheap rates. These people had to pay for their transportation to the colony. Other settlers were indentured servants. These were settlers who could not pay for their passage and hence committed to work for a number of years to pay for the sum advanced. Some settlers were kidnapped men and women taken to America by force. The final group of settlers was the Africans who were sold into slavery in America (The process).
The proprietary colonies were similar to other colonies in respect to the King’s approval of their formation. In all cases, colonies were started after the king had given authorization allowing for their formation. They are also similar in the respect that in the end, they all gained independence from British authority. The proprietary colonies in some cases differed from the other colonies. The first was the fact that the individuals owned the land (Norton et al 67). In other colonies, the deed to the land was in the king’s name. Another difference is the settling of British subjects in this land. In other colonies, the Britons who settled there did so because they had been appointed leaders of the area. Others formed the army that protected British interests. There were no elected officials in other colonies.
The emergence of proprietary colonies marked a shift in earlier forms of colony formation. The first is that the land was owned by individuals rather than the British crown. Another shift was brought about by the massive resettlement of British subjects. These people later began to advocate for their separation from British rule. This led to formation of a new citizenry. The former British subjects became Americans in the new land they settled in. In other colonies, the fight for independence led to the power being given to the natives of the land (The process).
Reference
The process of colonization. 2008. Wiki history. Web.
Norton Marybeth, David M. Katzman, David W. Blight, Howard P Chudacoff, Thomas G.
Paterson, William M. Jr. Tuttle & Paul D. Edscott. A People and a Nation: A History of the United States New York: Houghton Milling Company, 2000.