1774. Independent Provisional Government organized.

1776. Independence formally declared.

1779. Adoption of state constitution.1

1785. Cession to United States of western territorial claims. 1786-88. Cession and sale of western New York claims.

1788. Ratification of Federal constitution.

See Miss E. M. Sawyer's note in "State Publications," compiled by R. R. Bowker, New York, 1899, p. 28. U.S. Charters and Const's, Part I, p. 921.

BIBLIOGRAPHY.

New Plymouth Colony. Title of legislative body: "General Court of Magistrates and Deputies," or "General Court."

Session laws called "Laws," sometimes "Laws and Orders." Massachusetts Bay Colony and Province. Title of legislative body: "General Court," or Great and General Court or Assembly."

66

Session laws called "Acts and Laws " or " Laws and Orders." Commonwealth. Title of legislative body: "The General Court." Session laws called “Acts and Resolves."

Bibliography of Laws of Massachusetts Bay, 1641-1776. Worthington Chauncey Ford and Albert Matthews. Reprinted from publications at Colonial Society of Mass. Vol. 4. Privately printed, Cambridge, 1907. v + 186 p. 8°.

Colonial Laws of Massachusetts. William H[enry] Whitmore. Introduction to edition Boston, 1887, and Preface to edition. Boston, 1889.

Manuscript Laws of Massachusetts. The following is a statement by Mr. James J. Tracy, chief of archives division, concerning the original enactments in manuscript which are preserved in his office in the State House at Boston:"Legislative action during the Colony period, 1628-86, is recorded in the first five volumes of the Records of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The manuscript collection, known for purposes of reference as 'Massachusetts Archives,' contains the petitions, reports and other documents upon which the General Court based legislative action, together with the original votes and orders drafted as they were passed. There are no formal acts existing of the period mentioned.

This constitution became effective, Oct. 25, 1780, see folio "Perpetual Laws," printed by Adams and Nourse, p. 27, Boston, 1789. (See also "Constitutional Conventions," etc., post.)

The Andros interregnum, 1686–89, eliminated the General Court.
The first engrossed acts on parchment in the State archives
are those bearing the signature of Andros. They are not com-
plete for his whole term, but the manuscript collection contains
the bills as originally drafted where engrossments are lacking
as well as the petitions, etc., upon which action was taken.
The General Court records begin again with the overthrow of
Andros in 1689 and contain all votes, orders and resolves from
that time to the sitting of the First Provincial Congress in
October 1774. The engrossments of formal acts are continuous,
with but few omissions, from 1692 to the present time. The
papers upon which these acts are based are in the manuscript
collection as well as those causing orders and resolves to be
passed.

The Commonwealth period, 1780-1912, marks a difference in the
treatment of legislative records, as all papers which make up
the history of an enactment from the first step to its final passage
have since that time been filed under the chapter numbers
given acts and resolves in each year. The engrossed acts and
resolves are bound in volumes. There are no missing acts or
resolves for this period."

SESSION LAWS.

New Plymouth Colony.

History of the Plimoth Plantation, containing an account of the voyage of the Mayflower. (Sometimes called "The Log of the Mayflower.") Written by William Bradford. [Contains covenant of the Mayflower passengers, signed November 11, 1620, combining "into a Civill Body Politick." The original pen and ink MS. of this history is in the custody of the State Library of Massachusetts. For copy thereof and proceedings in the Consistory Court of London, and in the Massachusetts General Court incident to the return of the MS., see Bradford's History of Plimoth Plantation,'" published by order of the General Court.

lxxvii + 555 p. 8°. Ports. and Facsims.

Boston, 1901.]

History of the Plimoth Plantation, containing an account of the voyage of the "Mayflower." Written by William Bradford. Reproduced in fac-simile from the original manuscript. With an introduction by John A. Doyle.

(1) +17 + 535 p. Folio. Photo.

London and Boston, 1896. Facsim.

Compact, Charter and Laws of the Colony of New Plymouth; " with an appendix containing valuable documents. Published agreeably to a resolve of the legislature, under the supervision of William Brigham.

x + 357 p. 8°.

Boston, 1836.

Contained in the foregoing are copies of the following:
"GREAT PATENT OF NEW ENGLAND," [being the charter
granted by King James I to the Council established at Plym-
outh, Devon County, England, for the planting, ruling, order-
ing, and governing of New England in America. Dated Novem-
ber 3, (1620), p. 1.]

ACT OF THE COUNCIL OF PLYMOUTH, DEVON COUNTY, ENGLAND,
June 11, 1635, surrendering to King Charles I, the "Great
Charter" (Patent) of New England, granted by King James I,
p. 333.
LEYDEN AGREEMENT. "Conditions upon which the English at
Leyden, who intended to remove to America, engaged with
some merchants in England, who were to be joint adventurers
with them." [Bears no date], p. 303.

"COMPACT." Copy of Compact made on board the Mayflower,
with signatures attached, dated November 11, 1620, p. 19.
CHARTER OF THE COLONY OF NEW PLYMOUTH. Granted to Wil-
liam Bradford, his associates and assigns, by King Charles 1,
January 13, 1629, p. 21.

BRADFORD'S SURRENDER OF THE CHARTER. Surrender by William
Bradford of the Patent (Charter) of New Plymouth Colony,
to the freemen of that colony. Dated March 2, 1640, p. 305.
"GENERALL LAWES AND LIBERTIES" OF NEW PLYMOUTH COLONY,
(1658), "Book of the Generall Lawes and Liberties of . . . New
Plymouth, collected out of the Records of the Generall Court,
and lately revised and established and deposed into alpha-
beticall order and published by the authoritie of the Generall
Court. Held at New Plymouth, the 29th day of September,
Anno 1658," p. 105.

"GENERAL LAWS AND LIBERTIES OF NEW PLIMOUTH COLONY"
(1671), revised and published by order of the Generall Court
in June 1671, p. 241.

GENERAL LAWS AND LIBERTIES OF NEW PLYMOUTH COLONY, (1685). On p. 293 Brigham notes that in June 1685, the laws were revised and again printed, without material change from the revision of 1671. There is no MS. record preserved. Brigham prints only the most important provisions of this revision.

CONFEDERATION OF THE COLONIES (1643-72). Articles of Confederation between the colonies of the Massachusetts, New Plymouth, Connecticut, and New Haven "with the plantacons in combinacon therewith;" also proceedings of the General Court of New Plymouth, with reference to the Confederation, pp. 307-321. PROPOSITIONS OF THE ROYAL COMMISSIONERS, (1665). Propositions of the Royal Commissioners to the General Court of New Plymouth, February 22, 1665, and the Court's answer thereto. May 4, 1665, pp. 327-329.

RELATIONS WITH THE INDIANS. (1) Treaty with Massasoit, March, 1621, p. 304. (2) Submission of Indian sachems, September 13, 1621, p. 305. (3) Council of war with the several conclusions dated August 23, 1671; also submission of King Philip and other sachems dated September 29, 1671, pp. 329–333. ESTABLISHMENT OF A MILITARY COMPANY. "Orders of the General Court concerning the establishment of military discipline" and a military company in the "Towns of Plimouth, Duxborrow, and Marshfield," pp. 325-326.

PLYMOUTH AND MASSACHUSETTS COLONIES (boundary). Agreement for the bounds between Plymouth and Massachusetts Colonies, dated 1640, pp. 335–336.

PLYMOUTH COLONY AND THE SETTLEMENT OF MAINE.

Establish

ment of a government on the River Kennebeck, 1654, and instructions to Thomas Prence, pp. 322-325. See Maine.

LAWS AND ORDERS OF THE GENERAL COURT: