Social Studies, House of Burgesses

There were hundreds of members of Virginia's House of Burgesses over the years. The most well-known members were George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and Peyton Randolph.

These were some well-known members of the House of Burgesses.

It was a large legislative group. It contained 22 men who were elected from the entire colony of Virginia.

What was the House of Burgesses?

May 6, 1776 marked the last official meeting of the House of Burgesses. Virginia was caught up in the revolt against the king and the members of the House of Burgesses knew that big changes were coming. Edmund Peterson, a member of the House of Burgesses, wrote in a letter, "We met in an assembly yesterday, and determined not to adjourn, but let the body die."

When and why did the House of Burgesses stop meeting?

The House of Burgesses first met on July 30, 1619 at the Jamestown Church.

When was the first meeting of the House of Burgesses? Where did it occur?

To vote, you had to be a white man over the age of 17 who owned a specific amount of land.

Who was eligible to vote for members of the House of Burgesses?

Not only was the House of Burgesses the first legislative body in Virginia, they set the standard that colonists could make their own laws. The House of Burgesses protested the unfair laws that England made for them and were an important group as the American Revolution was beginning to spark.

Why was the House of Burgesses important in Virginia?