The English colonies were unique in the New World. The Spanish and French colonies were governed by viceroys and governors who reported directly to their monarchs. Spanish and French colonists were unable to develop representative institutions. By contrast, the English colonies were largely self-governing. From an early date, the English colonists were able to establish legislatures that wielded real authority in local matters. This long-established tradition of American political autonomy lay at the heart of the dispute over taxation by the British government following the French and Indian War.