Colonial History: Analysis of the Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company

Exploration and settlement of the new world was initiated for many reasons. Some traveled to the Americas to find a new life; others to find a fortune. Over the hundreds of years since settlers and immigrants first started coming to North America, the reasons for making the journey have not really changed. Yet the purpose of one of the very first colonies, that of Massachusetts Bay, is arguable; the colonists, in their many documents put forth as records and declarations of their settlement in America, insisted that they were doing God's will. Yet the implications of many of their documents, including "The Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony," make it seem as if the settlers were running a profitable business, as opposed to a more idealistic journey to a new land. The New World provided many opportunities for business and profit; "The Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Colony" proves that the colonists were driven by greed and monetary ambition to settle in Massachusetts Bay.

One of the main reasons this document supports a theory that greed was a motivator for the colonists is word choice. First, the document is referred to as a 'Charter'. A Charter, according to the Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, is "a grant or guarantee of rights, franchises, or privileges from the sovereign power of a state or country; a written instrument that creates and defines the franchises of a city, educational institution, or corporation". This is interesting, of course, because a 'charter' also refers to a document in a corporation, as well as a country, that defines that institution's rights and privileges. Another example of interesting word choice is the reference and naming of the Massachusetts Bay Colony as a 'company'. A company implies that matters of business will be done within the group that has settled in Massachusetts, even though in previous documents there were few mentions of business and profits. Furthermore, there were many uses of words that generally refer exclusively to business. The words "commodities", "royalties", and "franchises" were used multiple times to refer to the items that the colonists would have rights to in Massachusetts.

Other reasons this document seems business oriented is some of the topics discussed. One of the main issues, mentions multiple times, is gold. The document first mentions gold in the second paragraph, where it states that the colonists were given, by the King, rights to "mines, any minerals, as well royal mines of gold and silver, as other mines and minerals, precious stones, quarries, and all other singular commodities" ("Charter"). It later mentions the colonists' rights to gold again on the second page. Finally, at the top of the third page, the document mentions what the King will receive: "the fifth part of the ore of gold and silver, which shall from time to time, and at all times hereafter, happen to be found, gotten, had, and obtained in any of the said lands" ("Charter"). These rights of the King to the gold of the colonies are mentioned again later on in the next paragraph. Furthermore, there are mentions of precious stones, cattle, and other exports. The colonists also claim rights to any ports, which immediately provide them with a place from which to export goods.

In addition, there is a decided formality and business tone to this document. The syntax of the Charter is very lengthy and inclusive; it assures that no points or matters of business are left out. Phrase such as "every part thereof" and "aforesaid" are repeated multiple times within a single sentence. This ensures that no part of the document relating to the rights of the colonists will be forgotten. Furthermore, the document itself is structured as though it is a contract, similar to those signed in business agreements and partnerships. It includes many extremely descriptive lists of people and places that tell in detail the rights the colonists have to the New World. In addition, many paragraphs are started with the phrase "we do further" ("Charter"); this uses the term 'we' to refer to, in essence, the King, although it implies the entire kingdom and all the subjects. This is reminiscent of many contractual documents is use today, that refer to the company in the agreement as 'we'.

In conclusion, this document is an excellent piece of evidence to support the idea that colonists traveled to the New World as profit-related venture. "The Charter of the Massachusetts Bay Company" employs formal diction, business related subject matter, and a businesslike tone to convey the idea that the New World is an excellent business opportunity, rather than a romantic voyage to discover new lands and new peoples.

Work Cited
Charter of Massachusetts Bay, 1629. http://www.lonang.com/exlibris/organic/1629-cmb.htm