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Democracy

The first representative legislature in British America met at Jamestown in 1619. Over the next hundred years, the General Assembly increased its powers and was a vital part of colonial government, becoming a “little Parliament.” Nevertheless, as subjects of the crown, colonists depended on the British monarch for their liberties. In June 1776, the Virginia Convention, meeting in Williamsburg, adopted a different view of liberty. The Virginia Declaration of Rights, written by George Mason, soon echoed by Thomas Jefferson’s Declaration of Independence, declared: “That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights … namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.” British subjects had become American citizens.

There were, of course, limits to this democracy. The Declaration of Rights excluded not only slaves but women, and the constitution adopted by the Virginia Convention limited the right to vote to men who owned land. Still, the New World was considerably more democratic than the old, and the principles embodied in the words of Mason, Jefferson, James Madison, and other Virginians would inspire later generations to extend democratic rights to all Americans and eventually to other peoples of the world.

TopDon't Miss

  • Historic Jamestowne

    The first General Assembly met at Jamestown Church (the foundations of which are visible in the Memorial Church) July 30, 1619. The foundations of the last statehouse at Jamestown can still be seen under the new Archaearium.

    Visit: http://www.historicjamestowne.org

  • Jamestown Settlement

    Gallery exhibits explore the political, social and economic development and expansion of the Virginia colony during the 17th century, while Jamestown was its capital. Short films describe the evolution of government in the colony and consider the legacies of Jamestown–cultural diversity, language, and representative government.

    Visit: http://www.historyisfun.org

  • Colonial Williamsburg

    Each day, the Historic Area features Revolutionary City, a dynamic two-hour event during which guests witness – and participate in – the “Collapse of the Royal Government, 1774-1776,” and the struggles of “Citizens at War, 1776-1781.” See the events of the American Revolution played out on the streets of Williamsburg, where you may meet Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Patrick Henry, and other Nation Builders.

    Visit: http://www.colonialwilliamsburg.com

  • Yorktown Victory Center

    A newly renovated gallery exhibit interprets the Declaration of Independence as the document that articulated the ideas about what makes government, who participates, and what a government’s responsibility is to the people. Sections of “The Legacy of Yorktown: Virginia Beckons” examine the discourse over what kind of government would set the course of the United States.

    Visit: http://www.historyisfun.org