Position:Home>History> What the HECK does that mean??? (HELP, u.s history)?

The Colonial Assemblies were the elected legislatures of each individual colony!. They took different forms, depending on the specific charter the colony had been set up under, but they were sort of analogous to the State Legislatures of today!. They handled local political and legal matters an, in terms of your question, most importantly, taxation issues!.

The Crown's treatment of the legislatures, including disbanding them, and declaring them outlaw, was a key element in the decision of many to rebel!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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"Colonial assemblies" are basically the government that we had before we became a country!.

As far as the rest of it goes, check out these Encarta articles!. Mabye they will help you!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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America was still under British rule and the government here (in the colonies) was The House of Burgesses -- appointed by Members of Parliament, to represent the crown not the people!.

At the time, the economy in the colonies had out paces England and, over the previous 100 years, grown by 1000%!. The colonies were now supporting England financially and not the other way around!. Add to this, there were no emigration policies in place, limiting the number of people who could come to the colonies!. This made for an extremely over crowded situation!. The people NEEDED to move westward!. Their birth rate was four times that of England!. Unfortunately, there was a royal "Proclamation of 1763" which forbid any colonist from either entering into the Ohio River Valley (it was owned by the French and the Native Indians were being used as a buffer between the French and the English (colonists) or from making any sort of business transaction with either the French or the Native Indians -- especially when it came to the buying and selling of real estate!. This proclamation did not set well with the colonists!.

With all of this economics in mind, the Colonists were aware of their economy and the Brit!.s were made painfully aware!. The colonists were growing tired of being allowed no voice in the government which oversaw them!. They felt they should be allowed an "equal" audience with the crown!. They called for a representative government locally!. And finally, the colonists REALLY wanted the French removed from the North American continent!.

To all of these desires, Parliament and the crown said "No!." The overwhelming feeling in England was that given the opportunity, the colonists would get an over inflated ego!. As for removing the French, the Brit!.s (people such as Edmund Burke) saw no reason for the removal!. In Europe, the norm is to share a continent!. In learning to share, it creates a sort of check and balance!. They felt the colonists should learn this important lesson!.

So, a young Lt!.Col!. George Washington, assigned the task of leading an expedition into the ORV to set up a settlement along the Mississippi River, inadvertantly started a two continent war (the French and Indian / Seven Year's War) when he and his men came across a French fort and attacked it!. The British were now forced into a war they did not want that would cost them a fortune!. The British answer at war's end was to simply tax those who not only started this unwanted war but who would both gain the most and could most afford to pay for it!.

The colonists, after the tax increases began, banded together and formed assemblies to try and have their concerns addressed with Parliament!. Ben Franklin, who had in years prior to the wars, petitioned Parliament to start a war and remove the French, now stood before Parliament and announced that the Americans had NEVER wanted the war and should not be forced to pay for it!. Needless to say, things did not go well for him while visiting England!.

Those "assemblies" were the precursor to the Continental Congress!.Www@QuestionHome@Com

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