House of Burgesses
House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses was the first legislative meeting elected by the colonies. It was part of the Virginia governing body, consisting of 2 elected representatives from each region. To attract responsible and sensible citizens, the Virginia Company built the Great Charter in 1618. The Great Charter established a credible government led by a governor and a council of advisers appointed as a crown, as well as a democratically elected general assembly. The meeting was called the House of Burgesses. The House of Burgesses enacted laws and taxes, first meeting with the governor and the council in an unlawful legislature, but eventually met separately as part of the bicameral process.
The House of Burgesses enjoyed various levels of power throughout its history, surviving numerous crown attempts to reduce its power or even dissolve the assembly. Leading up to the Revolutionary War, the Burgesses House defended the interests of the colonies in the face of ever-increasing English law, including the challenge of the Stamps Act and the closure of Boston Harbor. In 1774 John Murray, emperor of Virginia, disbanded the Burgesses House, but the assembly continued to meet without the emperor and Council until 1776 when Virginia declared independence from the throne and formed a new assembly called the House of Delegates.
Step by step
Solved in 2 steps
