Posted by Chester Morton / Monday, 18 April 2016 / No comments
The features of the Crown Colony system of administration
CROWN COLONY
SYSTEM OF ADMINISTRATION
Definition
The Crown
Colony System of Administration can be described as the system of
administration that was adopted by the British in the administration of their
overseas territories.
STRUCTURE OF
THE SYSTEM
The Monarch
At the top
of the structure was the king or queen, referred to as the Monarch. He or she
was the head of all the British colonies and the head of state of the United
Kingdom.
Secretary of
State for the colonies
Right below
the Monarch was the Secretary of State for the colonies. He was based in London
and was the head of the colonial office. He was also a cabinet Minister. The
governors of the various colonies were appointed based on his recommendations
and he supervised and coordinated their activities.
Governors
The Governor
was directly below the Secretary of State. He was based in the colony and was, therefore, the representative of the British crown in the colonies. He was
appointed by the British government based on the recommendations of the
Secretary of State for the colonies and he was responsible for the day to day
administration of the colony.
Executive
Council
The Governor
was assisted by an Executive Council. The Executive Council was made up of the
heads of important government departments such as the Attorney General, the
Financial Secretary, Director of Medical Services, the Colonial Secretary and
the Officer Commanding the local troops. The Executive Council advised the
Governor on the formulation of policies. It also helped him in the
administration of the colonies.
Regional
Commissioner
Each colony
was subdivided into regions with each region headed by a Regional
Commissioner.
Provincial
Commissioners
The regions
were further subdivided into provinces and each province was headed by a
Provincial Commissioner.
District
Commissioners
The
provinces were again divided into districts, headed by District Commissioners.
These District Commissioners implemented official policies at the local level
with the help of the local chiefs.
Chiefs
At the bottom was the African chiefs who were constituted into a Native
Authority. They dealt with local issues such as the settling of disputes and
the administration of justice.
SAMPLE
QUESTION(S)
1. a.
Describe in detail, the Crown Colony System of administration.
2. How did
the British administer their colonies after they acquired them?
