Final answer:
Virginia's House of Burgesses, established in 1619 as the first legislative assembly in the New World, was modeled after the English Parliament. It featured a representative system that allowed colonists to have a say in their government, becoming the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly with the Governor's Council as the upper house, similar to the two-tier structure of the English Parliament.
Step-by-step explanation:
Virginia's House of Burgesses was patterned after the English institution known as Parliament. Established by the Virginia Company through the "Instructions to George Yeardley" and sometimes referred to as the "Great Charter," the House of Burgesses was created as a representative assembly to govern alongside the appointed Governor's Council. This governance structure was part of an effort to provide colonists with a voice in their government, which led to the formation of a body that played a significant role in the development of democratic governance in colonial America.
On July 30, 1619, the House of Burgesses convened for the first time in Jamestown, becoming the first elected legislative assembly in the New World. Despite its initial session being cut short due to an outbreak of malaria, it marked the beginning of a representative system that would continue to evolve. The House of Burgesses extended its reach as the colony expanded, eventually becoming the lower house of the Virginia General Assembly, with the Governor's Council as the upper house. These developments mirrored the two-tier legislative structure of the English Parliament, which also had a lower house (the House of Commons) and an upper house (the House of Lords).