The House of Burgesses
In 1607, the Virginia Company organized the settlement at Jamestown. Because
life was so harsh and so many people died, the colonists’ primary concerns were
about how to stay alive. They didn’t worry much about government. People back
in England weren’t interested in traveling to the New World because of the
difficult living conditions. The Virginia Company needed some good publicity to
get more investors and also more settlers.
When Governor George Yeardly arrived in Virginia from England in 1619, he told
the settlers that the Virginia Company had voted to abolish martial law and create a
legislative assembly. This legislative assembly became the House of Burgesses,
and it was the first legislature of the English colonies (a legislature is a group of
people who make and change laws). By allowing the House of Burgesses to be
created, it gave the colonists some self-government.
Each of the colony’s settlements elected burgesses (also called representatives).
Only white men over 17 years old who owned land could vote. There were also
royally appointed councilors and the governor. The newly elected burgesses
weren’t experienced politicians. They were mostly men from the gentry (well-born
and well-bred) class.
The House of Burgesses could make laws which the governor or the directors of
the Virginia Company could veto. It also determined local taxes. The first time the
House of Burgesses met was in the choir at Jamestown Church on July 30, 1619,
and the meeting lasted for six days. They set basic laws for the colony, organized
land rights, proclaimed the Church of England the established religion in Virginia,
made moral laws about gambling and swearing, and set a minimum price for
tobacco sales. Tobacco was America’s first cash crop. Unfortunately, there was an
outbreak of malaria that ended the first session early.
This picture shows remains of the Jamestown Church tower:
http://www.digitaljournal.com/image/192407.
In 1624, Virginia became a royal colony, and England took more control over
things. This restricted the power of the House of Burgesses. But during England’s
civil wars, the House of Burgesses took more power over the colony. By 1652, the
House of Burgesses appointed the governor and his council (which previously the
king of England had done). The elected burgesses were now the most powerful
people in the colony. In 1774, Virginia Governor Lord Dunmore disbanded the
House of Burgesses because they were in support of resistance to England. The
Virginia Constitution of 1776 formed a new General Assembly, replacing the
Governor’s Council with an elected Senate and the House of Burgesses with an
elected House of Delegates.
Many famous Americans were “trained” in the House of Burgesses, including
George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry. The House of
Burgesses paved the way for the other English colonies. Each new colony wanted
its own legislature. Through the House of Burgesses, the Virginia House of
Delegates is considered the oldest continuous legislative body in the New World.
Activities:
What kind of laws would you make if you were a member of the House of
Burgesses? Make a list of important laws for the Virginia colony then come up
with a punishment for breaking the laws.
The men who were burgesses needed to be honest and fair. Here are two books that
are great for teaching honesty to young children: The Wolf Who Cried Boy by Bob
Hartman; Ruthie and the (Not So) Teeny Tiny Lie by Laura Rankin. The books No
Fair!: Kids Talk about Fairness by Nancy Loewen and It’s Not Fair! By Amy
Krouse Rosenthal are good for teaching fairness.