House of Burgesses Webquest

Introduction

In Chapter 3, we will begin our journey into the beginnings of democracy and self government in the American colonies. You will learn about the House of Burgesses and how it laid the foundation for one of our most basic rights. You will find examples of some of the original petitions presented to the House of Burgesses. Then in your groups, you build your own petition for a change that you would like to see made in our class, school, or even our district.

Process

Step 1:

Your group will need the sheet provided to you.

On one side you must list all of your group members.

On the back is the example petition for later.

Step 2:

In your groups, go to the websites listed below and answer the questions for each website on your group response sheet. What you will learn is that the colony in Virginia was so far away from the King of England, that it could take months for decisions to be made. Decisions ranged from town improvements and slavery, to divorce and setting the price for crops. These petitions were sent to the House of Burgesses to speed up the decision making process.

Site #1 http://www.encyclopediavirginia.org/House_of_Burgesses#start_entry

1) What is the House of Burgesses?

2) Who were some famous members?

3) According to the Timeline, what happened on June 29, 1776?

Site #2 http://www.ushistory.org/us/2f.asp

4) According to the caption of Jamestown Church, when was the first meeting of the House of Burgesses?

5) According to the caption of Jamestown Church, what was the first order of business?

6) If you wanted to 'Cite This Page', what information would you have to write down?

Site #3 http://www.lva.virginia.gov/public/guides/rn18_legspet.htm#form

7) List the 5 parts that make up the 'Form of a Petition'.

8) What is the definition of 'Gloss'?

Step 3:

Now that your groups have a base knowledge of the House of Burgesses and petitions, you must develop your own petition. Imagine you are a colonist in Jamestown (Room 202) and your King (Mr. Johnson) is all the way back in England (The Main Office). What is something you as a group would like to ask, or petition, King Johnson for. Make sure it is something that is realistic, and not something like 'No More Tests'. Make sure your petition includes a title, all the cause/reason for wanting the change, and the signatures of your group members.

Step 4:

Once your petition and question responses are complete, check it for any errors. We will be sharing these petitions with the class and deciding which one is the best. We will sign it as a class and send it to the House of Burgesses (Mr. Daldos) and then on to King Johnson for review.