Which feature did all the colonies have in common early in their history?(1 point)

Responses

systems of schools
systems of schools

representative government
representative government

colonists seeking religious freedom
colonists seeking religious freedom

large plantations

representative government

The correct answer is: representative government. All the colonies in early American history had systems of representative government in place.

Based on the options provided, the feature that all the colonies had in common early in their history is representative government.

To arrive at this answer, we can eliminate the other options one by one:

1. Systems of schools: While education was an important aspect in the colonies, it was not a feature that all colonies had in common early on. Some colonies had more established systems of schools and education, while others had limited access to formal education.

2. Colonists seeking religious freedom: While religious freedom did play a significant role in the establishment of some colonies, such as Massachusetts Bay Colony, it was not a shared characteristic among all the colonies. Some colonies were established for economic reasons or as proprietary ventures.

3. Large plantations: The presence of large plantations was more common in the southern colonies, such as Virginia and South Carolina, where agriculture, particularly tobacco and later, cotton, thrived. However, not all colonies had a large plantation system in their early history.

That leaves us with the remaining option:

4. Representative government: All the colonies had some form of representative government early on, where elected officials served as the voice of the people. This was exemplified through institutions such as the Virginia House of Burgesses and the Mayflower Compact.

Thus, the feature that all the colonies had in common early in their history is representative government.