In 1619, the Colony of Virginia created a General Assembly, which included 22 men called burgesses. These men had been elected by Virginia’s eligible voters, making the House of Burgesses the first representative legislature in British America. In the years leading to the American Revolution, as Parliament introduced more burdensome legislation, the House of Burgesses was at the forefront of colonial opposition and had an outsized influence on the founding of our great nation.

Tom Hand, creator and publisher of Americana Corner, discusses how the House of Burgesses was an eloquent and vocal proponent for American liberty, and why it still matters today.

Photo Credits:
National Park Service
Encyclopedia Virginia
Library of Congress
National Portrait Gallery
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Mount Vernon