The Dominion of New England was a short-lived administrative union of English colonies in North America established in 1686 by King James II. It consolidated the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, Colony of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, Connecticut Colony, and the Provinces of New Hampshire and Maine under a single royal governor, aiming to tighten the English crown's control over the region.
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The Dominion of New England was created by King James II to centralize control over the North American colonies and enforce the Navigation Acts more effectively.
The Dominion was governed by a royal governor, Sir Edmund Andros, who was seen as a tyrannical ruler by the colonists and was eventually overthrown during the Glorious Revolution.
The Dominion of New England was unpopular with the colonists, who resisted the loss of their local self-government and the imposition of royal authority.
The collapse of the Dominion of New England in 1689 was a significant event in the growing tensions between the colonies and the English crown, contributing to the eventual American Revolution.
The Dominion's dissolution led to the re-establishment of the individual colonial governments, though the crown continued to assert its authority over the colonies through the Navigation Acts and other policies.
Review Questions
Explain the primary purpose behind the creation of the Dominion of New England by King James II.
The Dominion of New England was established by King James II in 1686 with the primary goal of tightening the English crown's control over the North American colonies. By consolidating several colonies under a single royal governor, the king aimed to more effectively enforce the Navigation Acts, which regulated colonial trade and shipping to benefit the English economy. The Dominion represented a shift towards greater centralization and royal authority in the colonies, which was met with resistance from the colonists who valued their local self-governance.
Describe the role of Sir Edmund Andros in the administration of the Dominion of New England and the colonists' reaction to his rule.
Sir Edmund Andros was appointed as the royal governor of the Dominion of New England, tasked with implementing the king's policies and enforcing the Navigation Acts. Andros was seen by the colonists as a tyrannical ruler who trampled on their traditional rights and liberties. He imposed new taxes, restricted local governance, and attempted to seize land titles, all of which fueled growing resentment among the colonists. The colonists' eventual overthrow of Andros and the Dominion during the Glorious Revolution in 1689 was a significant event that highlighted the tensions between the colonies and the English crown, setting the stage for the eventual American Revolution.
Analyze the lasting impact of the Dominion of New England's collapse on the relationship between the colonies and the English crown.
The dissolution of the Dominion of New England in 1689 was a pivotal moment that further strained the relationship between the colonies and the English crown. The colonists' successful rebellion against the Dominion and the royal governor Andros demonstrated their willingness to resist perceived encroachments on their rights and liberties. This event reinforced the colonists' growing sense of autonomy and self-governance, which would continue to clash with the crown's efforts to maintain control over the colonies through policies like the Navigation Acts. The collapse of the Dominion contributed to an escalating cycle of tension and conflict, ultimately laying the groundwork for the American Revolution decades later as the colonies increasingly asserted their independence from the English monarchy.
Related terms
Royal Colony: A colony that was directly controlled by the English crown, with a royal governor appointed by the monarch to administer the colony.
A series of laws passed by the English Parliament in the 17th century that regulated trade and shipping in the colonies, requiring them to trade only with England.
The overthrow of King James II in 1688 by a coalition of English parliamentarians and the Dutch stadtholder William of Orange, leading to the establishment of a constitutional monarchy in England.