Prior to Georgeland's independence in 1891 from the United Kingdom, Georgeland was governed as a British overseas possession. The Colony of Georgeland recieved its first official Governor in 1797. The early Governors had total control over the colony, and were all military officers. Over time, a more responsible form of government developed, and by the 1860s the Governor had become a ceremonial position, with power held by the Colonial Assembly and the Chief Minister of the Colony of Georgeland.