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The charter of Massachusetts Bay represents still another
way in which self-government was established
in the English colonies of North America. In this
case, the Massachusetts Bay Company, a joint-stock
company resident in England, whose membership included
merchants and landed gentry, received a
charter from the Crown. The government of the company
and the extent of its authority were clearly
stated in the charter, with an unstated premise that
the management o! the company and thus the charter
itself would remain in England.
However, a group of Puritans within the Massachusetts
Bay Company adopted a pledge known as
the Cambridge Agreement, in which they stipulated
that they would not only migrate to the New World
but also carry the charter with them. This last step
was taken to assure those Puritans in the company
who settled in New England that they would retain
control of company management. By bringing the
charter to America, the Puritans took the first step
in transforming Massachusetts Bay from a trading
company into a commonwealth, because the charter
became the constitution of the colony.
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