[XVIII. LIBERAL CHARTERS, 1662, 1663][89]
97. The Connecticut Charter
April 23/May 3, 1662
Connecticut Colonial Records, II, 3-11.
The complete document would fill some ten pages of this volume. Parts of it are plainly copied from the Massachusetts Bay charter of 1629. Indeed the whole document has the form of a charter to a proprietary "Company." This company, however, was a "Corporation upon the place," not a corporation in England managing a distant property. It was the first such corporation to receive a grant from the crown.
The parts of the charter here given are selected to show (1) the powers of self-government and (2) the inclusion of New Haven. The charter was adopted as the State Constitution in 1776, and continued in force, with very slight change, until 1818.
Charles the Second, [&c.] Whereas ... Severall Lands, ... and Plantations have byn ... setled in that parte of ... America called New England, and thereby the Trade ... there hath byn of late yeares much increased, And whereas, We have byn informed by the humble Petition of our Trusty and welbeloved John Winthrop [and eighteen others], being Persons Principally interested in our Colony ... of Conecticutt in New England, that the same Colony ... was purchased and obteyned for greate and valuable considerations, and thereby become a considerable enlargment and addition of our Dominions and interest there,—Now Know yee, that in Consideration thereof, and in regard the said Colony is remote from other the English Plantations in the Places aforesaid, And to the end the Affaires and Busines which shall from tyme to tyme happen or arise concerning the same may bee duely Ordered and managed, Wee ... Doe Ordeine, Constitute and Declare That they, the said John Winthrop [and others] and all such others as now are or hereafter shall bee Admitted and made free of the Company and Society of our Collony of Conecticut in America, shall ... bee one Body Corporate and Pollitique in fact and name, by the Name of Governour and Company of the English Collony of Conecticut in New England in America; ... And further, wee ... Doe Declare and appoint, that for the better ordering and manageing of the affairs and businesse of the said Company and their Successors, there shall be one Governour, one Deputy Governour, and Twelve Assistants, to bee from tyme to tyme Constituted, Elected and Chosen out of the Freemen of the said Company for the tyme being, in such manner and forme as hereafter in these presents is expressed. And ... Wee doe ... Constitute and appoint the aforesaid John Winthrop to bee the first and present Governour of the said Company; [appointment of Deputy Governor and Assistants]; to continue in the said severall Offices respectively untill the second Thursday which shall bee in the Moneth of October now next comeing. And further, wee ... Doe Ordaine and Graunt that the Governour ... for the tyme being, or, in his absence ... the Deputy Governour ... shall and may ... upon all occasions give Order for the assembling of the said Company ... to Consult and advice of the businesse and Affaires of the said Company, And that for ever hereafter, Twice in every yeare, (That is to say,) on every second Thursday in October and on every second Thursday in May, or oftener, in Case it shall be requisite, The Assistants and freemen of the said Company, or such of them (not exceeding twoe Persons from each place, Towne or Citty) whoe shall bee from tyme to tyme thereunto Elected or Deputed by the major parte of the freemen of the respective Townes ... shall have a generall meeting or Assembly, then and their to Consult and advise in and about the Affaires and businesse of the said Company; And that the Governour, or ... Deputy Governour ..., and such of the Assistants and freemen of the said Company as shall be soe Elected or Deputed and bee present att such meeting or Assembly, or the greatest number of them (whereof the Governour or Deputy Governour and Six of the Assistants, at least, to bee Seaven) shall be called the Generall Assembly, and shall have full power and authority to alter and change their dayes and tymes of meeting or General Assemblies for Electing the Governour Deputy Governour and Assistants or other Officers, or any other Courts, Assemblies or meetings, and to Choose, Nominate and appoint such and soe many other Persons as they shall thinke fitt and shall bee willing to accept the same, to bee free of the said Company and Body Politique, and them into the same to Admitt and to Elect, and Constitute such Officers as they shall thinke fitt and requisite for the Ordering, mannageing, and disposeing of the Affaires of the said Governour and Company and their Successors. And wee doe hereby ... Establish and Ordeine, that once in the yeare ..., namely, the said Second Thursday in May, the Governour, Deputy Governour and Assistants of the said Company and other Officers of the said Company, or such of them as the said Generall Assembly shall thinke fitt, shall bee, in the said Generall Court and Assembly to bee held from that day or tyme, newly Chosen for the yeare ensuing, by such greater part of the said Company for the tyme being then and there present. ... And wee doe further ... Graunt that it ... shall ... bee lawfull [for any General Assembly,] to Erect and make ... Judicatories for the heareing and Determining of all Actions ... And alsoe from tyme to tyme to Make, Ordaine, and Establish All mannner of wholesome and reasonable Lawes, Satutes, Ordinances ... and Instructions, not contrary to the lawes of this Realme of England ... which they shall find needfull for the Government ... of the said Colony. ... And Knowe yee further, That Wee ... Doe give, Graunt and Confirme unto the said Governor and Company and their Successors, All that parte of our Dominions in New England in America bounded on the East by Norrogancett River, comonly called Norrogancett Bay, where the said River falleth into the Sea, and on the North by the lyne of the Massachusetts Plantation, and on the South by the Sea, and in longitude as the lyne of the Massachusetts Colony, runinge from East to West, (that is to say,) from the said Norrogancett Bay on the East to the South Sea on the West....
98. The Rhode Island Charter
July 8/18, 1663
Rhode Island Colonial Records, II, 3-20.