<P> Massachusetts had a long history of virtually theocratic rule, in addition to their widespread resistance to the Navigation Acts, and they exhibited little tolerance for non-Puritans, including supporters of the Church of England (which was most important for the king). Charles II repeatedly sought to change the Massachusetts government, but they resisted all substantive attempts at reform . In 1683, legal proceedings began to vacate the Massachusetts charter; it was formally annulled in June 1684 . </P> <P> The primary motivation in London was not to attain efficiency in administration, but to guarantee that the purpose of the colonies was to make England richer . England's desire for colonies that produced agricultural staples worked well for the southern colonies, which produced tobacco, rice, and indigo, but not so well for New England due to the geology of the region . Lacking a suitable staple, the New Englanders engaged in trade and became successful competitors to English merchants . They were now starting to develop workshops that threatened to deprive England of its lucrative colonial market for manufactured articles: textiles, leather goods, and ironware . The plan, therefore, was to establish a uniform all - powerful government over the northern colonies so that the people would be diverted away from manufacturing and foreign trade . </P> <P> Following the revocation of the Massachusetts charter, Charles II and the Lords of Trade moved forward with plans to establish a unified administration over at least some of the New England colonies . The specific objectives of the dominion included the regulation of trade, reformation of land title practices to conform more to English methods and practices, coordination on matters of defense, and a streamlining of the administration into fewer centers . The Dominion initially comprised the territories of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, the Plymouth Colony, the Province of New Hampshire, the Province of Maine, and the Narraganset Country (present - day Washington County, Rhode Island). </P> <P> Charles II had chosen Colonel Percy Kirke to govern the dominion, but Charles died before the commission was approved . King James II approved Kirke's commission in 1685, but Kirke came under harsh criticism for his role in putting down Monmouth's Rebellion, and his commission was withdrawn . A provisional commission was issued on October 8, 1685 to Massachusetts Bay native Joseph Dudley as President of the Council of New England, due to delays in developing the commission for Kirke's intended successor Sir Edmund Andros . </P>

The event that sparked the collapse of the dominion of new england was