In the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the right to vote was limited to a specific group of people
. Initially, only freemen could participate in elections
. A freeman was typically defined as a male who was not a slave and possessed civil and political rights
. Qualifications to vote in the Massachusetts Bay Colony:
- Gender Voting and political involvement was restricted to men
. Women were not allowed to participate in government
- Landowners Voting was limited to male landowners in the colonies
- Church Membership In Massachusetts and Plymouth, men had to be members of the Church to cast their ballot
. Only those men who were church members could vote for the governor and for representatives to the General Court
. To become a member of the church, individuals had to be questioned by church elders about their religious beliefs
- Freemen An additional 116 settlers were admitted to the general court as freemen in 1631
. The general court specified that only men who were members of churches in the colony were eligible to become freemen and gain the right to vote
