the house of burgesses was first established as a bicameral institution in colonial virginia in 1642.
the house of burgesses was first established as a bicameral institution in colonial virginia in 1642.
when was the house of burgesses first established as a bicameral institution in colonial virginia?
1642
house of burgesses









































the house of burgesses was the elected representative element of the virginia general assembly, the legislative body of the colony of virginia. with the creation of the house of burgesses in 1642, the general assembly, which had been established in 1619, became a bicameral institution.









































from 1642 to 1776, the house of burgesses was an instrument of government alongside the royally-appointed colonial governor and the upper-house council of state in the general assembly.
house of burgesses
founded in 1619, the virginia general assembly is still in existence as the oldest legislature in the new world. in colonial virginia, the lower house of the legislature was called the house of burgesses. together with the governor's council, the house of burgesses made up the "general assembly". the governor's council was composed of 12 men appointed by the british monarch to advise the governor. the council also served as the "general court" of the colony, a colonial equivalent of a supreme court. members of the house of burgesses were chosen by all those who could vote in the colony. each county chose two people or burgesses to represent it, while the college of william and mary and the cities of norfolk, williamsburg and jamestown each chose one burgess. the burgesses met to make laws for the colony and set the direction for its future growth; the council would then review the laws and either approve or disapprove them. the approval of the burgesses, the council, and the governor was needed to pass a law. the idea of electing burgesses was important and new. it gave virginians a chance to control their own government for the first time. at first, the burgesses were elected by all free men in the colony. women, indentured servants, and native americans could not vote. later the rules for voting changed, making it necessary for men to own at least fifty acres (200,000 m²) of land in order to vote.
government of virginia