Government

This room is in Williamsburg's courthouse. The railing you see up front is called the bar. Only lawyers, clerks and the judges were allowed "past the bar." Hence the saying that lawyers have "passed the bar." Prisoners, or those who were having courtcases heard, stood at the bar on the public side, hence the saying "standing trial." Isn't history cool? There was a panel of judges made up of vestrymen from the local government, who also served in the church.

On a colony wide level, the Governor and his council worked in this room. He was the King's representative in the government. The men on the council also sat with the Governor on the supreme court, hearing felony cases for the whole colony.

The House of Burgesses. These men where representatives from every county in Virginia. 2 from each. Here they fought against unfair taxation, and also the seeds of liberty were born. When the Governor dismissed the House of Burgesses, they met secretly in the Raleigh Tavern. They set up a committee of correspondence so they could keep in touch with the other colonies, to find out what was happening with the British Government.

It is amazing to walk in the footsteps of these brave men, who risked everything, for freedom. We owe them a debt of gratitude.