A royal commission dated October 8, 1685, appointed Joseph Dudley as president of the Council for New England, marking a decisive transition in the government of Massachusetts Bay and neighboring territories. Dudley, the Harvard-educated son of Thomas Dudley, a leading early founder of Massachusetts Bay, was selected by King James II’s government to head an interim administration. His appointment followed the 1684 annulment of Massachusetts Bay’s colonial charter, which had left the colony’s former system of self-government in political limbo.
Dudley’s provisional government anticipated the creation of the Dominion of New England under Sir Edmund Andros. His commission authorized a president and council to govern Massachusetts Bay, New Hampshire, Maine, and the Narragansett Country until a chief governor arrived. The Crown’s larger purpose was to strengthen imperial authority in New England, coordinate defense, and more rigorously administer English trade regulations, including the Navigation Acts.
Dudley’s position was especially contentious because he was a New England–born Puritan who accepted royal authority at a time when many colonists opposed the loss of their political autonomy. Although his administration was temporary—he took office in May 1686 and was replaced later that year as Andros assumed authority—its restrictions on representative government contributed to lasting resentment of direct royal intervention. The conflict over local self-rule and imperial power became a defining issue in New England politics for generations.
