Which of the following were company colonies?

Massachusetts
Maryland
Pennsylvania
Connecticut
Virginia
Rhode Island
Georgia

1 answer

Among the colonies you listed, the following were considered company colonies:

  1. Massachusetts - Initially settled by the Massachusetts Bay Company.
  2. Maryland - Founded as a proprietary colony under the charter granted to the Calvert family, which operated similarly to a company in terms of governance.
  3. Pennsylvania - Established by William Penn under a proprietary charter granted by King Charles II, functioning like a company due to its managed governance structure.
  4. Virginia - Initially established as the Virginia Company of London, a joint-stock company, although it eventually became a royal colony.

The other colonies listed:

  • Connecticut - Primarily self-governed and derived from earlier settlements rather than a company charter.
  • Rhode Island - Founded by dissidents from Massachusetts; it had a focus on individual rights and was not established as a company colony.
  • Georgia - Initially established as a trustee colony by James Oglethorpe and others, which had characteristics distinct from company colonies.

So to summarize: Massachusetts, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Virginia can be classified as company colonies, while Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Georgia do not fit this category.