In colonial America, the age at which one could be found able to form mens rea, or the intent to commit a crime, varied depending on the colony and the specific crime.
Generally, children under the age of seven were considered incapable of forming mens rea, while those between the ages of seven and fourteen were presumed to be incapable but could be held responsible if it was proven they had the capacity to understand the criminality of their actions. In some cases, such as with serious crimes like murder, the age of criminal responsibility was set at fourteen or even higher.