The Charters of Massachusetts Bay

The charter of Massachusetts Bay was one of the New World’s first attempts to establish self-government in the English colonies of North America. In this case, the Massachusetts Bay Company, a joint-stock company resident in England, whose membership included merchants and landed gentry, received a charter from the Crown. The government of the company and the extent of its authority were clearly stated in the charter, with an unstated premise that the management of the company and thus the ...