Commons House of Assembly

E44639

The Commons House of Assembly was the elected lower legislative chamber of colonial Georgia, representing the colony’s freeholders and playing a central role in its pre-Revolutionary governance.


Statements (49)
Predicate Object
instanceOf colonial legislative body
elected assembly
lower house
appliesTo colonial period of Georgia
associatedWithConcept British imperial administration in North America
colonial self-governance
associatedWithEvent pre-Revolutionary political conflicts in Georgia
characteristic could be dissolved by the governor
could be prorogued by the governor
elected by qualified freeholders
met in regular sessions
coequalsWith Governor’s Council of Georgia
coexistsWith Governor’s Council of Georgia
country Province of Georgia
dissolvedIn American Revolutionary period
governmentBranch legislative branch
governs internal taxation in the colony
local legislation for Georgia
hasChamber lower house
hasFunction check on executive authority of the governor
representation of local interests
historicalPeriod pre-American Revolutionary era
historicalRole central institution in colonial self-government in Georgia
forum for colonial opposition to imperial policies
influencedBy British parliamentary traditions
jurisdiction Province of Georgia
language English
legalBasis royal instructions and colonial statutes
legislativeBodyOf Province of Georgia
location Savannah, Georgia
meetsIn public buildings in Savannah, Georgia
modeledAfter House of Commons of Great Britain
partOf colonial government of Georgia
politicalAlignment loyalist and patriot factions at different times
represents freeholders of Georgia
white male property owners in Georgia
role appropriated public funds
asserted colonial rights and privileges
enacted local laws
levied taxes in the colony
participated in pre-Revolutionary resistance
petitioned the Crown and Parliament
regulated internal affairs of the colony
subordinateTo British Crown
royal governor of Georgia
succeededBy Georgia House of Assembly
revolutionary-era legislative bodies of Georgia
typeOfElectorate limited to free white male property holders
votingSystem restricted franchise based on property ownership

Referenced by (1)
Subject (surface form when different) Predicate
Province of Georgia
legislature

Please wait…