Royal, Proprietary or Charter? is a free printable Grade 3 to Grade 5 social studies worksheet on the three kinds of colonial government, aligned to C3 Framework indicator D2.Civ.5.3-5. It prints 6 questions with an answer key on its own sheet of paper, in 25 versions that each ask different questions, so no two students in the class work from the same page. Print it from the browser or download it as a PDF — no account, no email.
Set 17 of 25 · the same problems every time you open this link.
Set 1 has all 25 in a single PDF. All 25 sets ask different questions.
Royal, Proprietary or Charter?
D2.Civ.5.3-5
NameDate
Sort each colony or feature, then circle the right answers.
1.Sort each one: Royal or Proprietary or Charter?
Sort: A governor chosen by the owner of the land grant, New York (by 1775), Land granted by the king to one person or family, Connecticut, Colonists ran the colony under their own charter, North Carolina (by 1775)
RoyalProprietaryCharter
2.Sort each one: Royal or Proprietary or Charter?
Sort: Maryland, granted to the Calvert family, Rhode Island, A governor elected by the colonists, South Carolina (by 1775), Pennsylvania, granted to William Penn, Virginia (by 1775)
RoyalProprietaryCharter
3.After 1691 Massachusetts had a charter but a governor chosen by the king. Why is it hard to sort?
A.It mixed features of charter and royal colonies
B.It was owned by one family
C.It had no government
4.What did all three types of colony have?
A.No laws at all
B.An elected assembly that made some laws
C.A president
5.Connecticut and Rhode Island kept their charters. What did that let them do?
A.Ignore every British law
B.Elect their own governors
C.Print British money
6.Who was the proprietor of Pennsylvania?
A.Roger Williams
B.William Penn and his family
C.King George III
LessonPrint · D2.Civ.5.3-5 · Set 17 · free to copy for classroom use
Answer key — Royal, Proprietary or Charter?
Set 17. Prints on its own sheet.
1.1. A governor chosen by the owner of the land grant — Proprietary 2. Colonists ran the colony under their own charter — Charter 3. Connecticut — Charter 4. Land granted by the king to one person or family — Proprietary 5. New York (by 1775) — Royal 6. North Carolina (by 1775) — Royal
2.1. A governor elected by the colonists — Charter 2. Maryland, granted to the Calvert family — Proprietary 3. Pennsylvania, granted to William Penn — Proprietary 4. Rhode Island — Charter 5. South Carolina (by 1775) — Royal 6. Virginia (by 1775) — Royal
3.It mixed features of charter and royal colonies
4.An elected assembly that made some laws
5.Elect their own governors
6.William Penn and his family
Last reviewed 2026-09-05. Aligned to D2.Civ.5.3-5 of the C3 Framework for Social Studies State Standards.