Joseph Dudley - President of The Council of New England

President of The Council of New England

Randolph arrived in Boston with Dudley's charter on 14 May 1686, and Dudley formally took charge of Massachusetts on 25 May. His rule did not begin auspiciously, since a number of Massachusetts magistrates who had been named to his council refused to serve, and he was unable to reconcile with Increase Mather, who refused to see him. According to Randolph, the Puritan magistrates "were of opinion that God would never suffer me to land again in this country, and thereupon began in a most arbitrary manner to assert their power higher than at any time before." Elections of colonial military officers were also compromised when many of them also refused to serve. Dudley made a number of judicial appointments, generally favoring the political moderates who had supported accommodation of the king's wishes in the battle over the old charter. He renewed treaties with the Indians of northern New England, and traveled to the Narragansett Country in June to formally establish his authority there.

Dudley was significantly hampered by the inability to raise revenues in the dominion. His commission did not allow for the introduction of new revenue laws, and the Massachusetts government, anticipating the loss of the charter, had repealed all such laws in 1683. Furthermore, many people refused to pay the few remaining methods of income on the grounds that they had been enacted by the old government and were thus invalid. Attempts by Dudley and Randolph to introduce the Church of England were largely unsuccessful due to a lack of funding, but were also hampered by the perceived political danger of imposing on the existing churches for their use.

The enforcement of the Navigation Acts was conducted by Dudley and Randolph, although they did not adhere to the letter of the laws. Understanding that some provisions of the acts were unfair (for example, resulting in the payments of multiple duties), some violations were overlooked, and they suggested to the Lords of Trade that the laws be modified to ameliorate these conditions. However, the Massachusetts economy was harmed by their vigorous enforcement of the acts. Dudley and Randolph eventually had a falling out over matters related to trade, administration, and religion. "I am treated by Mr. Dudley worse than by Mr. Danforth", Randolph wrote, unfavorably comparing Dudley to one of the hardline magistrates.

While Dudley governed, the Lords of Trade, based on a petition from Dudley's council, decided to include the colonies of Rhode Island and Connecticut in the dominion. Andros, whose commission had been issued in June, was given an annex to his commission with instructions to incorporate them under his authority.