House of Burgesses
The House of Burgesses (/ˈbɜːrdʒəsɪz/) was the elected representative element of the Virginia General Assembly, the legislative body of the Colony of Virginia.
House of Burgesses | |
|---|---|
| Colony of Virginia | |
Patrick Henry in the Virginia House of Burgesses by Peter F. Rothermel | |
| History | |
| Established | 1619 |
| Succeeded by | Virginia House of Delegates in 1776 |
| Meeting place | |
| Reconstructed chamber in Williamsburg Jamestown, Virginia (1619–1699) Williamsburg, Virginia (1699–1776) | |
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 House.
When the Virginia colony declared its independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain at the Fifth Virginia Convention in 1776 (and became the independent Commonwealth of Virginia), the House of Burgesses became the House of Delegates, which continues to serve as the lower house of the General Assembly.
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