Student Question
Which British colonies had direct and representative democracies, and how did they function?
Quick answer:
Direct democracy, where the entire community participates in decision-making, was not fully implemented in any British colony, though early Plymouth Colony came close with town meetings as specified in the Mayflower Compact. Representative democracy was practiced in colonies like Virginia, where the House of Burgesses served as a colonial legislature. However, its powers were limited to local issues and could be overruled by the Governor, the King, or the British Parliament.
A direct democracy involves the entire community or tribe being involved in every decision, with majority rule in effect. While none of the colonial government truly had this in effect, the closest that I can think of would be the early Plymouth Colony, which specified in The Mayflower Compact the need for town meetings to make the laws. As the colony grew in number and the villages multiplied, direct democracy became impractical.
Virginia is one of several examples where representative democracy was practiced. The Virginia House of Burgesses acted as the colonial legislature in that royal colony from very early in the settlement phase. Their power was limited to local issues, and they could be overruled by the Governor, the King or the British Parliament.
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