Virginia’s Act III: Baptism Does Not Exempt Slaves from Bondage

About the Author

The white men who voted to legalize the 1667 Virginia statute regarding slavery and Christian conversion were members of the House of Burgesses. The governing body was the first representative political assembly established in a British colony. In 1619 the General Assembly convened for its initial session in Jamestown, Virginia. The political body consisted of a governor and several appointed council members selected by the officials of the Virginia Company of London. In addition, individual settlements in the colony were permitted to send two elected representatives called burgesses to Jamestown. Only landholding freemen were allowed to vote for the burgesses. For most of its existence, the men who served in the colonial assembly shared common bonds of wealth and race. In 1624 the colony’s representative government was placed under royal control, and the governor and council members were chosen by the king. Although certain historical events in England influenced the development of the colonial governing body, the impact was minimal owing to the geographical distance. In general, the House of Burgesses independently shaped the colony’s legal, economic, and social foundations. The representative assembly was also responsible for drafting membership requirements and regulating the colony’s tax system. In 1776, during the American Revolution, the House of Burgesses evolved into the Virginia House of Delegates.