The townships
In the Thirteen Colonies, the territory was divided into townships. The colonists fully owned their land. They did not have to pay dues to a seigneur because seigneuries did not exist.
In the northern colonies, a group of colonists established a township. The townships were almost square in shape. Each township had about 2,000 farms. Each colonist owned a piece of land measuring about 100 football fields. A space was set aside for the village and all the colonists would build a meeting hall together. The residents of the township would meet in this hall to discuss local issues, such as roads.
If the township was threatened by attacks, people would build their homes close together in the village. The safer the township, the further apart people would build their homes.
Author: Léon Robichaud