There was no “American colonial government” or central “American colonial administration.” Each of the thirteen English colonies had at least one governor, who, through the royal governor’s council, had executive, judicial, and legislative powers. Most colonies also operated under a lower parliamentary house, whose delegates were elected by landowners.
Royal Colonies:
Governors were appointed by the king; the council was formed partly of the king’s appointees and partly of those chosen by the lower parliamentary house
Proprietary Colonies:
Lords Proprietors appointed governors and councils
Charter Colonies:
Elected their own governors and operated on the basis of royal charters with no interference from Britain
Some colonies had governors; others had proprietors. The colonies varied in their powers, as well. Some had charters guaranteeing them the right to self-rule; others were proprietary, under the control of the king’s friends and noblemen.
One notable exception was the Connecticut Colony, whose government was not organized by a royal charter. Instead, in 1639, an autonomous, all-male voting body of residents organized the colony’s government, the Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, the oldest known constitution in the English colonies.
Colonial governments were also heavily influenced by the Church of England. The Anglican church was the established church in most colonies and was given money, status, and power by many colonial governments. This led to religious strife in the colonies, as dissenting religious groups sought greater freedom.
Despite these differences, the English colonies shared many common features in terms of their government and administration. For example, all of the colonies had some form of representative assembly, although the amount of power held by these assemblies varied from colony to colony. Also, all of the colonies were subject to the authority of the British government, represented by the governor. Although all of the colonies were required to obey the laws and regulations imposed on them by Great Britain, they had little say in the matters that affected their lives.
These characteristics of colonial government and administration would come to have a profound impact on the shaping of the young American nation.