A
proprietary colony was a
colony in which one or more individuals, usually land owners, remaining subject to their parent
state's sanctions, retained rights that are today regarded as the privilege of the state, and in all cases eventually became so.Bernard Vincent,
La période coloniale in
États-*Unis peuple et culture, 2004, ISBN 2707142603
This type of colonial government based on the
County Palatine and resembling
feudal grants of fiefs in exchange for service more than the modern concept of state sovereignty, was used by
England's early colonization along the Atlantic coasts of North America and the Caribbean.
Most were run under a
colonial charter agreement, which was reviewed by the ruling Monarch. A good example is the
Province of Pennsylvania, granted to
William Penn (the state still bears the name meaning "woodlands of Penn") by King
Charles II of England.
This type of
indirect rule eventually fell out of favor as the colonies became established and administrative difficulties eased. The English Sovereigns sought to concentrate their power and authority and the colonies were converted to
crown colonies, i.e. governed by officials appointed by the King replacing the people the King had previously appointed and under different terms.
Historical precedent
The
Monarch repeatedly granted transatlantic territory to an individual or a small group, rather than to a
chartered company — which would of course then be no more than an...
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