Colonial Government - Three Types of Government
There were three types or systems of government used within Colonial Government of the 13
Colonies. The names of these different types of government were Royal, Charter and Proprietary.
These three types of government were implemented in the colonies and a colony would be
referred to as either a Royal Colony, a Charter Colony or a Proprietary Colony.



Royal Government definition: Royal Colonies were ruled directly by the English
monarchy
Proprietary Government definition: Proprietary Colonies were established in territories
which had been granted by the English Crown to one, or more, proprietors who had full
governing rights
Charter Government definition: Charter Colonies were generally self-governed, and their
charters were granted to the colonists as opposed to proprietors
Colonial Government - Royal Colony
Royal colonies were owned by the king.

These governments were appointed by the Crown, and carried out the orders and wishes
of the Crown as opposed to private or local interests
Colonial Government - Proprietary Colony
In a Proprietary Colony, an individual, or small elite group, essentially owned the colony,
controlling all of the actions and institutions of government, for which they would receive
political or financial favors. The governors of the proprietary colonies reported directly to the
king.
Colonial Government - Charter Colony
The Charter Colonies were generally self-governed, and their charters were granted to the
colonists via a joint-stock company

When created, the British King granted these colonies a charter establishing the rules of
government, but he allowed the colonists a great amount of freedom within those rules
Colonial Government - Changes to Systems of Government
The 3 systems of government in the 13 original British Colonies could change according to the
political and economic changes in Great Britain. Most began as Charter Companies and were
then changed to either proprietary colonies or royal colonies. The systems of government just
before the American Revolutionary War were as follows:

There were 3 Propriety colonies: Delaware, Maryland, and Pennsylvania

There were 3 Charter Colonies: Connecticut and Rhode Island. Massachusetts was a
royal province while operating under a charter

There were 7 Royal Colonies: New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North
Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia
ac t.:··c
!. ( •
-::..ar !.y· :r :h.e ,_h,H··,
b~l
w •
t~"''8 S:A.Jl.f'
:.!
.o·o~ll-<'- C:v!:r
F...Y..:
11Jv"
'="'
rr....rri._.~a:-;r
-,nic'
~'.'i11: ·d~•. lUu.t:.hu
·-·!-1.!:,
PE:t.r.r):.,.._,
tJ:• .. l•~ll•!re, t•• C•U-1l1:1;1 , Gcct ~·Ja•
f., r.:~t:•" ~ ,,. , I "\C Y:ork,
I ·nH·y, Ot:l•\.",\':'e I
PC rtf•·:J
rA "'
I
- ••
,.,~.
1• , ... ,, r-·.· ....... .
_rl1-!!o)Vet~tin;;
:t·l(':..::.ll'll
'CJ n.:ec-. i::·r:: ::no Jlh~:..J.:
H~'-'
v:-te~.:
I
'
l
;;:.u;c:·::-t:: r
gL>vLruo::
He~· ~c.lor.ir.l
:- '"~ ..,;' l ml
-·~Cti'J~Atul"'eS
',.. •r••
1
~huucr.
'J
tJr:,• or
?TOfrt~to:­
;:,:ve.~.:.-
1
'
'
l l .. t!!t'
l."t'pe-: .:.ot.~a
(c;unc! .. )
~.~,~ ..
I
.._.r
::lCL:IC
(;~...:1.:..-
,, ..
t.:H~
{.l UE.C!J: J)
\':)!·':'·
'
.C"Vjt'f t-,.).l&c
I .......--.::
ljI
-t::E:':' :')!)(;!'.e.
(eO'.:ncil)
-
C•Jm)lt::_
h .•:'
(1 I
;o.l·::un
~"t
~;:_.
f::~t•l
o.L
tht· Th::.rtecn Col·:on:.es w~n= ~.l.lf!J
1, ' 'Y l;.'l .•• ~
~· ·· ·.-f'l"n(l t"
:: .. ~:.:r..:.t•:.;.
c.:c n.:;lsli.r.~ :Jf F. ::"I •lpOtli.'
;rul ·
1·.·:'1111-w .lud '' },r,.r~t h\J .. f."e .
-~3'
::a
( 4 .•
{5)
-;~,~
::1
colonlo"~t>.
L'.:u
~o,:I~U!J\' 1."Jn1<~.,
\'.''''' 11''-
h)
'·""•f! ~ ,·
(,u:"
,1;
T·•e
. -,I
.ttln'
1· ..~ •a- :-;.
·~
..__ .:._.
-· J(!
~ ~~
t It
•,,1 l•y -he .-..-.t "'"1-1 - ~
~f··::.:cn J _ i ·-. •· i-~·.;
,.·,.,
t
q•l•
• l··o-1 •.I - II·
l>t-c"ll :•I •,
"'t7l~· ("til
1
'.•
n•·• .,...
I 'II
·' ...-.... ~·O''
."''
"II., .,..h
clu•INI
t
•-r:d .l1:
,. I
~ h·:
:w•Jt.:
n.,.wr ltu~e ,..,,~ C•:':,._~ <:ll·,._ .t ·•r,._ -~r•.,ttf Yt'l
·-: ... •"
..>:
r.
1:'-•·•v':
1,. v:1 .•
I tr .,,
r,·,
th£ ;;:··•;'""r:-.c:- ;..•.:;.s ::l:ot;~- I·., t l·fll
.a':lfo:!.ntf!G. the ;:,··V~..:~nJ r
~L:.r:tl:m~. :n:;. G::t:~~i , thto:
r•.y.1i
.,-, ••:•l""'!l .
t"b-·"'t'. -h.
.1r .._.r
T"-,-,,-,--c=---::-:-c'' l·-
h'l .1,,
.<it~
-.~r
1u"';r
;:,•r.·~:r·•~r.
d:: J