Final answer:
The House of Burgesses was the first representative assembly in the New World, significant for setting up democratic governance in North America starting with the Virginia colony in 1619. It initiated the model of self-government which was pivotal in the development of the United States.
Step-by-step explanation:
The House of Burgesses was important in the development of the United States because it represented the beginning of a representative government in what would become America. Established by the Virginia Company in 1619 and first meeting in Jamestown, it comprised twenty-two elected representatives known as burgesses. The establishment of the House of Burgesses as a forum where colonists could voice their concerns and work towards the common good was significant because it set the precedent for democratic governance and rule of law in North America. This body was responsible for passing laws surrounding the new cash crop, tobacco, establishing a system of taxation, and laying down regulations for public welfare. Over time, the House of Burgesses expanded its role, eventually becoming the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly in 1643, which marked the development of a more complex government structure, reflective of the growing autonomy and self-governance of the American colonies.