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For eighty years Williamsburg was the capital of the Colony of Virginia which was England's largest and wealthiest colony.
This
is the Capitol building where the General Assembly debated
and passed legislation. The General Court also met here with
regular sessions in the spring and fall.
Because
the Capitol burned and was rebuilt between 1747 and 1753, a
decision had to be made during the reconstruction of
Colonial Williamsburg. Which building should be rebuilt?
While the second building was the site of greater historical
significance, such as those described in the next picture,
the first building with its rounded ends was considered more
architecturally distinctive. Moreover, there were better
records about how the first Capitol actually looked, so the
original building was chosen to be rebuilt.
It
was in this chamber that the House of Burgesses met. They
were the lower legislative house and consisted of two
members elected by the landowners of each county and one
member each from Jamestown, Williamsburg, Norfolk, and the
College of William and Mary. It was in the House of
Burgesses that the independence of Virginia from England was
debated and Patrick Henry delivered his famous
"Caesar-Brutus" speech.
This
chamber held the General Court of the Colony of Virginia.
The Council met in a chamber above. The Council was the
upper legislative body, consisting of twelve leading
colonists appointed by the king for life.
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