A Look Back in History

The House of Burgesses, state of Franklin, Gone With the Wind, and Death of the King

The birthplace of Margaret Mitchell, author of Gone With the Wind; photo by Carol M. Highsmith, courtesy of the Library of Congress, 2020

Backroads transport us to the places and events that commemorate our country’s history. Here are some from Southeastern summers of the past, as published in our Summer 2025 print issue.

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Engraving from painting by P.F. Rothermel, courtesy of WikiMedia Commons/U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

The House of Burgesses Assemble

Jamestown, Virginia
July 30-August 4, 1619

The House of Burgesses, established in 1619 in Virginia, was the first elected legislative assembly in the American colonies. Created under the 1618 Great Charter, it allowed for a General Assembly alongside a Crown-appointed governor and council. That summer, Governor Sir George Yeardley called two representatives from each of Virginia’s eleven settlements to meet in Jamestown. From July 30 to August 4, they passed laws on trade, morality, and land rights, laying a foundation for self-government. Though Virginia became a royal colony in 1625, the assembly continued and was formally recognized by the king in 1639 with taxation approval authority.