Joseph Dudley - Revocation of The Colonial Charter

Revocation of The Colonial Charter

The colony's governance, which had first come under increased scrutiny by King Charles II beginning in the 1660s, came under substantial threat in the late 1670s. Crown agent Edward Randolph, sent to New England in 1676 to collect customs duties and enforce the Navigation Acts, documented a list of issues and took his complaints to the Lords of Trade in London. The colonial leadership was divided on how to answer this threat. Dudley was part of a moderate faction, along with his brother-in-law Simon Bradstreet and William Stoughton, that supported accommodating the king's demands. The moderates were opposed by hardliners who opposed attempts by the crown to interfere in the colony's business. These factions were separated in part along class lines, with the wealthier land owners and merchants who dominated the legislature's upper house (called the "court of assistants") favoring accommodation, while the more representative lower house favored the hardliners.

In 1682 Massachusetts sent Dudley and John Richards to London as agents to represent its case to the Lords of Trade. Dudley brought with him a letter of introduction from Plymouth Governor Thomas Hinckley to William Blathwayt, the colonial secretary. The favorable relationship he established with Blathwayt contributed much to Dudley's future success as a colonial administrator, although it also raised suspicions in the colony about his motives and ability to represent its interests. The authority of the agents was limited, and the Lords of Trade insisted to the colonial administration that their agents be authorized to negotiate modifications to the colonial charter. The legislature, dominated by hardliners, refused this demand. This led directly to this issuance of a quo warranto writ demanding the surrender of the colonial charter. When Dudley brought this news to Boston at the end of 1683, a heated debate began in the legislature, with the hardline party again prevailing. The hardliners, whose leadership included the influential Reverend Increase Mather, in particular castigated moderates like Dudley and Bradstreet as enemies of the colony. Richards, despite the hostile reception the agents had received in London, sided with the hardliners, and the hatred focused against Dudley resulted in his ouster from the council of assistants in the 1684 election.

The episode also led to accusations that Dudley had secretly schemed in London to have the charter vacated as a means of personal advancement. Although he is claimed to have discussed the form of a replacement government with Edward Randolph, this discussion did not take place until after the quo warranto writ was issued. This was treated as evidence that he was hostile to the present order of the colony, and working against his commission as colonial agent. His discussions with Randolph were perceived favorably by the latter, who also came to believe that Dudley's election loss meant he would make a good crown servant. As a result, rumors began circulating in Boston in late 1684 that Dudley might be appointed governor, with Randolph as his deputy.

The charter was annulled in 1684, and the Lords of Trade began planning to combine the New England colonies into a single province called the Dominion of New England. This work was still in progress when King James II took the throne in 1685; however, difficulties in drafting a commission for the intended governor, Sir Edmund Andros, prompted Randolph to propose an interim appointment. Dudley was chosen for this post based on Randolph's recommendation, and on 8 October 1685 a commission was issued to him as President of the Council of New England. The territories covered by his commission included those of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Maine, and the "Narragansett Country", a disputed territory in present-day southern Rhode Island. Randolph was appointed to a long list of subsidiary posts, including secretary of the colony, that would give him considerable power in the colony.