House of Burgesses

noun phrase

: the colonial representative assembly of Virginia

Examples of House of Burgesses in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
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His reputation as a lawyer is likely why leaders in his county selected him for a seat in the Virginia House of Burgesses in 1765, wrote historian Richard R. Beeman in his 1974 biography of Henry. Cassandra Good, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 Mar. 2025 The family press was also active in publishing patriotic materials, like a petition from the Virginia House of Burgesses protesting taxes imposed by Parliament. Alexandra Cox, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 Mar. 2025 According to Washington’s cash accounts ledger, the war hero and then-delegate in the Virginia House of Burgesses paid a £1.16 reward (around $250 today) for the escapee’s prompt return to his Virginia estate. Francine Uenuma, Smithsonian Magazine, 14 June 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1619, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of House of Burgesses was in 1619

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Cite this Entry

“House of Burgesses.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/House%20of%20Burgesses. Accessed 28 Mar. 2025.

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