As the settlement of Jamestown became more successful, the strict rules and harsh consequences doled out by governors such as Thomas Dale quickly became outdated and unnecessary. In 1619, George Yeardley was elected the new governor of Virginia. Yeardley's primary goal as governor was to ensure that Virginians would have the same rights as those living in England. Yeardley quickly established the first representative government (officials to represent the people) in the New World and scheduled annual meetings in which laws and rules based on popular will were formulated.
The first meeting of the House of Burgesses (representative government) occurred on July 30, 1619. The House of Burgesses was made up of 22 men, two men representing each of Virginia's 11 "plantations" or counties. The major goal of the House of Burgesses was to change the law as imposed by Thomas Dale. Yeardley signed off on the changes which effectively ended martial law in Jamestown and resulted in new found freedoms among the settlers. The House of Burgesses effectively represented the first form of democracy to ever reign in the New World. It resulted in the formation of new social and economic institutions such as Virginia's undemocratic slave-labor workforce.
Who was elected as Virginia's new governor in 1619?
What was George Yeardley's primary goal as governor?
To ensure everyone was safe.
To ensure everyone got along with the Indians.
To ensure Virginians had the same rights as people in England.
To ensure he got a lot of gold.
What is a representative government?
A government which represents England.
A government which represents officials.
A government with officials that represent the people.
A government which is unfair to the people.
The House of Burgesses was made up of ____________ officials.
11
2
22
1
The major goal of the House of Burgesses was to ....?
Change laws that had been made by the former governor.
To find 22 representatives.
To make money for England.
To make money for the new colony.
Which of the following is NOT true?
Thomas Dale was governor before George Yeardley
The House of Burgesses was the first democracy in the New World.
The House of Burgesses was made up of 11 representatives for each of the colony's two plantations.
It was important for the governor to ensure that his people had the same rights as the people in England.
Which of the following is NOT true?
Some of the representatives in the House of Burgesses were women.
The first meeting of the House of Burgesses occurred in the summer of 1619.
The creation of the House of Burgesses resulted in the formation of a slave-labor workforce.
Plantations = Counties
What does "outdated" mean in the following sentence?
As the settlement of Jamestown became more successful, the strict rules and harsh consequences doled out by governors such as Thomas Dale quickly became OUTDATED and unnecessary.