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Colonial Charters, Grants and Related Documents
General Charters
Connecticut Delaware Georgia Maine
Maryland Masachusetts New Hampshire New Jersey
New York North Carolina Pennsylvania Rhode Island
South Carolina Vermont Virginia

General Charters
  • 1492 - Priviledges and Prerogatives Granted by Their Catholic Majesties to Christopher Columbus; April 30

  • 1498 - The Letters Patents of King Henry the Seventh Granted unto Iohn Cabot and his Three Sonnes, Lewis, Sebastian and Sancius for the the Discouerie of New and Unknowen Lands; March 5

  • 1578 - Letters Patent to Sir Humfrey Gylberte June 11

  • 1584 - Charter to Sir Walter Raleigh; March 25

  • 1603 - Charter of Acadia Granted by Henry IV of France to Pierre du Gast, Sieur de Monts; December 18

  • 1614 - General Charter for Those who Discover Any New Passages, Havens, Countries, or Places; March 27

  • 1614 - Grant of Exclusive Trade to New Netherland by the States-General of the United Netherlands; October 11

  • 1619/20 - Petition for a Charter of New England by the Northern Company of Adventurers; March 3

  • 1621 - Charter of the Dutch West India Company; June 3

  • 1624 - Warrant for William Ussling to Establish a General Company for Trade to Asia, Africa, America and Magellanica; December 21

  • 1626 - Charter of Privileges which Gustavus Adolphus Has Graciously Given by Letters Patent to the Newly Established Swedish South Company; June 14

  • 1629 - Grant of Land North of the Saco River to Thomas Lewis and Richard Bonighton by the Council for New England; February 12

  • 1629 - Sir Robert Heath's Patent 5 Charles 1st; October, 30

  • 1634 - Royal Commission for Regulating Plantations; April 28

  • 1635 - Declaration for Resignation of the Charter by the Council for New England; April 25

  • 1635 - Confirmation of the Grant from the Council for New England to Captain John Mason

  • 1637 - Proclamation Against the Disorderly Transporting His Majesty's subjects to the Plantations Within the Parts of America; April 30

  • 1637 - Commission to Sir Ferdinando Gorges as Governor of New England by Charles ; July 23

  • Connecticut
  • 1639 - Fundamental Orders; January 14

  • 1639 - Fundamental Agreement, or Original Constitution of the Colony of New Haven, June 4

  • 1643 - Government of New Haven Colony

  • 1662 - Charter of Connecticut

  • Delaware
  • 1701 - Charter of Delaware

  • 1776 - Constitution of Delaware

  • Georgia
  • 1732 - Charter of Georgia

  • 1777 - Constitution of Georgia; February 5

  • Maine
  • 1622 - A Grant of the Province of Maine to Sir Ferdinando Gorges and John Mason, esq., 10th of August

  • 1639 - Grant of the Province of Maine

  • 1664 - Grant of the Province of Maine

  • 1674 - Grant of the Province of Maine

  • Maryland
  • 1632 - Charter of Maryland

  • 1776 - Constitution of Maryland; November 11

  • Amendments to the Maryland Constitution of 1776

  • Massachusetts
  • 1620 - The Charter of New England

  • 1620 - Agreement Between the Settlers at New Plymouth

  • 1629 - Charter of the Colony of New Plymouth Granted to William Bradford and His Associates

  • 1629 - The Charter of Massachusetts Bay

  • 1635 - The Act of Surrender of the Great Charter of New England to His Majesty

  • 1640 - William Bradford, &c. Surrender of the Patent of Plymouth Colony to the Freeman, March 2D

  • 1688 - Commission of Sir Edmund Andros for the Dominion of New England. April 7

  • 1691 - The Charter of Massachusetts Bay. October 7

  • 1725 - Explanatory Charter of Massachusetts Bay - August 26

  • New Hampshire
  • 1629 - Grant of Hampshire to Capt. John Mason, 7th of Novemr.

  • 1629 - Grant of Laconia to Sir Ferdinando Gorges and Captain John Mason by the Council for New England; November 17

  • 1635 - Grant of the Province of New Hampshire to John Wollaston, Esq.,

  • 1635 - Grant of the Province of New Hampshire From Mr. Wollaston to Mr. Mason, 11th June

  • 1635 - Grant of the Province of New Hampshire to Mr. Mason, 22 April , By the Name of Masonia

  • 1635 - Grant of the Province of New Hampshire to Mr. Mason, 22 Apr., By the Name of New Hampshire

  • 1635 - Grant of His Interest in New Hampshire by Sir Ferdinando Gorges to Captain John Mason; September 17

  • 1639 - Agreement of the Settlers at Exeter in New Hampshire

  • 1641 - The Combinations of the Inhabitants Upon the Piscataqua River for Government

  • 1680 - Commission of John Cutt

  • 1776 - Constitution of New Hampshire

  • New Jersey
  • 1664 - The Duke of York's Release to John Ford Berkeley, and Sir George Carteret, 24th of June

  • 1664 - The Concession and Agreement of the Lords Proprietors of the Province of New Caesarea, or New Jersey, to and With All and Every the Adventurers and All Such as Shall Settle or Plant There

  • 1672 - A Declaration of the True Intent and Meaning of us the Lords Proprietors, and Explanation of There Concessions Made to the Adventurers and Planters of New Caesarea or New Jersey

  • 1674 - His Royal Highness's Grant to the Lords Proprietors, Sir George Carteret, 29th July

  • 1676 - The Charter or Fundamental Laws, of West New Jersey, Agreed Upon

  • 1676 - Quintipartite Deed of Revision, Between E. and W Jersey: July 1st

  • 1680 - Duke of York's Second Grant to William Penn, Gawn Lawry, Nicholas Lucas, John Eldridge, Edmund Warner, and Edward Byllynge, for the Soil and Government of West New Jersey-August 6

  • 1681 - Province of West New-Jersey, in America, The 25th of the Ninth Month Called November

  • 1682 - Duke of York's Confirmation to the 24 Proprietors: 14th of March

  • 1683 - The Fundamental Constitutions for the Province of East New Jersey in America

  • 1683 - The King's Letter Recognizing the Proprietors' Right to the Soil and Government

  • 1702 - Surrender from the Proprietors of East and West New Jersey, of Their Pretended Right of Government to Her Majesty

  • 1709 - The Queen's Acceptance of the Surrender of Government; April 17

  • 1712 - Charles II's Grant of New England to the Duke of York, 1676 - Exemplified by Queen Anne

  • 1776 - Constitution of New Jersey

  • New York
  • 1626 - Notification of the Purchase of Manhattan by the Dutch; November 5

  • 1777 - The Constitution of New York : April 20

  • North Carolina
  • 1663 - Charter of Carolina : March 24

  • 1663 - A Declaration and Proposals of the Lord Proprietor of Carolina, Aug. 25-Sept. 4

  • 1665 - Concessions and Agreements of the Lords Proprietors of the Province of Carolina

  • 1665 - Charter of Carolina; June 30

  • 1669 - The Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina : March 1

  • 1775 - The Mecklenburgh Resolutions : May 20

  • 1776 - Constitution of North Carolina : December 18

  • Pennsylvania
  • 1681 - Charter for the Province of Pennsylvania : February 28

  • 1681 - Concessions to the Province of Pennsylvania - July 11,

  • 1682 - Penn's Charter of Libertie - April 25

  • 1682 - Frame of Government of Pennsylvania - May 5

  • 1683 - Frame of Government of Pennsylvania - February 2

  • 1696 - Frame of Government of Pennsylvania

  • 1701 - Charter of Privileges Granted by William Penn, esq. to the Inhabitants of Pennsylvania and Territories, October 28

  • 1776 - Constitution of Pennsylvania - September 28

  • Rhode Island
  • 1640 - Plantation Agreement at Providence August 27 - September 6

  • 1641 - Government of Rhode Island-March 16-19

  • 1643 - Patent for Providence Plantations - March 14

  • 1663 - Charter of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations - July 15

  • South Carolina
  • 1776 - Constitution of South Carolina - March 26

  • 1778 - Constitution of South Carolina - March 19

  • Vermont
  • 1777 - Constitution of Vermont - July 8

  • 1786 - Constitution of Vermont - July 4

  • 1791 - Admission of the State of Vermont - February 18

  • Virginia
  • 1606 - The First Charter of Virginia; April 10

  • 1609 - The Second Charter of Virginia; May 23

  • 1611 - The Third Charter of Virginia; March 12

  • 1621 - Ordinances for Virginia; July 24-August 3


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