Democratic Development in the New World Amidst a "New World," colonies were barely trying to find themselves. Some were joint-stock companies, some proprietary, and others still royal colonies of England. Within these colonies, the seeds of democracy were planted. On the journey towards becoming a fully democratic nation, small, seemingly insignificant steps were taken. One of these steps was taken by Virginia with the creation of the House of Burgesses, and New England held town meetings, which were representative of the diverse population. Although Virginia set a precedent with its democratic system, New England surpassed Virginia in democratic advancement due to its representational style of self government and its lack of slavery.

Virginia took the first step towards democracy by establishing the House of Burgesses in 1619, an assembly comprised mostly of colonists who arrived before the 1690s. The members of the colony ran the legislature, made their own...