The colonies, even though they had charters from the monarchy when they settled the lands in the New World in the early-to-mid 1600s, had to have some form of governance away from the Crown due to the long distances involved. Some colonies started electing their own governors and legislatures (the House of Burgesses being one such example). These larger bodies started giving way to smaller subdivisions, which only expedited the self-governing ability of the colonies.
