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Dominion of New England

historical area, United States

Quick Summary

The Dominion of New England was an administrative union of English colonies in North America. Established in 1686, it consolidated the jurisdictions of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Plymouth Colony, New Hampshire, Connecticut, and later New York and New Jersey, under a single governor, Sir Edmund Andros.12

The primary goal of the Dominion was to assert greater royal control over the colonies and to enforce English laws, such as the Navigation Acts, more rigorously. This move was met with significant resentment from the colonists, who valued their autonomy and self-governance. Andros's policies, including limiting town meetings and local taxation, further fueled this opposition.1

The Dominion's existence was short-lived. News of the overthrow of King James II in England in 1688 reached Boston, prompting a colonial revolt. Andros was deposed and imprisoned, and the Dominion was dissolved. This event marked a significant moment in the colonies' struggle for self-determination.1

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