II.

Colonial America

In American colonial history, three kinds of charters were granted by the English monarchs. Land was granted to companies for the purpose of establishing colonies. Examples are the charter given to the Massachusetts Bay Company by King Charles I in 1629 and the charter of Georgia, granted by King George II in 1732. Charters were sometimes granted to the inhabitants of existing settlements; the charter of Connecticut was given to the people of the colony by King Charles II in 1662. The sovereign also granted charters to individual proprietors, conveying hereditary rights over land and settlers. Proprietary charters include those of Maryland, granted to Cecilius Calvert, 2nd Baron Baltimore, by Charles I in 1632, and the original charter of New York, given by Charles II in 1664 to his brother the duke of York.