Final answer:
The Virginia House of Burgesses was significant as it was the first instance of representative democracy in North America, foreshadowing the democratic traditions of the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Virginia House of Burgesses was important in the development of colonial America because it represented the first attempt to practice representative democracy in the New World. Founded in 1619, it was the first group of elected representatives to meet in North America. These representatives, or burgesses, were elected by landowning colonists and had the authority to establish laws and a form of self-governance within the colony of Virginia. They addressed a variety of issues, from farming practices and taxation to the legal status of different groups within the colony. This institution formed the basis for the democratic governance that would later become a hallmark of the United States.