House of Burgesses, Summary, Facts, Significance, APUSH (2024)

What was the House of Burgesses and what did it do?

The House of Burgesses was the first elected representative assembly in Colonial America. It was established in 1619 by the Virginia Company and consisted of elected representatives from the towns and plantations in Virginia. The purpose of the House of Burgesses was to work with the Governor and the Governor’s Council to pass laws and make decisions for Virginia. It was a unicameral legislative body until 1643 when Governor Sir William Berkeley allowed the House of Burgesses to meet separately, creating a bicameral legislative system.

Why was the House of Burgesses important?

The House of Burgesses was important for several reasons. It was the first elected representative government in Colonial America and served as a model for other colonies in establishing their own representative assemblies. It also provided a means for Virginia colonists to have a voice in their own governance.

How was the Virginia Company associated with the House of Burgesses?

The Virginia Company was a joint-stock company, responsible for founding Virginia Colony in 1607, starting with the establishment of Jamestown. The Virginia Company appointed Sir George Yeardley as Governor in 1618. One of the founding members of the Virginia Company, Edwin Sandys, helped write a new charter for Virginia, known as the “The Great Charter,” which ordered Yeardley to establish a General Assembly, elected by the people of Virginia.

What role did Edwin Sandys play in the House of Burgesses?

Edwin Sandys played an important role in the establishment of the House of Burgesses because he helped write the “Instructions to George Yeardley,” which included directions for setting up a General Assembly. Yeardley complied with the instructions for “two Burgesses from each Plantation freely to be elected by the inhabitants thereof.” The General Assembly, then, would “establish one equal and uniform government over all Virginia” for the purpose of passing “just laws for the happy guiding and governing of the people there inhabiting.”

When did the House of Burgesses meet for the first time?

The House of Burgesses met for the first time on July 30, 1619, in the wooden church at Jamestown. John Pory served as Speaker of the Assembly.

What happened at the first meeting of the Virginia House of Burgesses?

At the first meeting of the House of Burgesses, 22 men, representing 11 settlements, assembled in Jamestown with Governor Yeardley and his Governor’s Council. Together, they approved legislation related to tobacco prices, servant contracts, and other issues of concern to the colonists. The first meeting lasted for six days and the weather was so hot and humid that two men became ill and one died.

What role did the House of Burgesses play in the Stamp Act Crisis?

During the Stamp Act Crisis in 1765, the House of Burgesses played a critical role in opposing the British government’s attempt to enforce the Stamp Act. Patrick Henry introduced a series of resolutions known as the Stamp Act Resolves, which argued that only the General Assembly had the authority to levy taxes on Virginia colonists. Henry also argued any attempts by the British government to tax Virginians without their consent was an attack on their rights. The resolutions were passed by the House of Burgesses and published throughout the American Colonies.

What led to the dissolution of the House of Burgesses?

The House of Burgesses was dissolved on May 24, 1774, by the Royal Governor John Murray, Earl of Dunmore. Following the passage of the Intolerable Acts, the Burgesses passed a resolution for a Day of Feasting and Prayer in support of the city of Boston. In the resolution, the Burgesses said it was “highly necessary that the said first Day of June be set apart by the Members of this House as a Day of Fasting, Humiliation, and Prayer, devoutly to implore the divine Interposition for averting the heavy Calamity, which threatens Destruction to our civil Rights, and the Evils of civil War; to give us one Heart and one Mind firmly to oppose, by all just and proper Means, every Injury to American Rights…” Dunmore was so upset over the resolution that he immediately dissolved the Assembly.

What were the Virginia Conventions?

After Lord Dunmore dissolved the Assembly in 1774, the members of the House of Burgesses responded by secretly meeting in Williamsburg, Virginia. Five meetings were held, which are known as the “Virginia Conventions.” The first four conventions dealt with how to plan for the defense of the colony in the event of war, including the establishment of the Committee of Safety. In 1776, the fifth Virginia Convention formally declared the relationship between Virginia and Great Britain “totally dissolved.” Then it directed its delegates to the Second Continental Congress to introduce a resolution for independence — the Lee Resolution.

When did the House of Burgesses end?

The House of Burgesses officially ended on May 6, 1776, when the last meeting was held and the members “determined not to adjourn, but let that body die.” The General Assembly, consisting of the House of Delegates and the Senate, replaced the House of Burgesses and declared Virginia’s independence from Britain.