In May 1774, Virginia’s House of Burgesses showed defiance that echoed straight into the Declaration of Independence. After calling for fasting and prayer in solidarity with Boston, Governor Lord Dunmore dissolved the assembly. The Burgesses simply moved down the street to the Raleigh Tavern’s Apollo Room, proving that liberty could not be locked out of the Capitol.
Dave explains how Benjamin Harrison, though less fiery than Patrick Henry or Thomas Jefferson, played a key role in shaping Virginia’s resistance. Harrison helped push the Virginia Association, a radical economic plan to boycott British goods and cut tobacco exports, even at great personal risk. This act of unity foreshadowed the very grievances Jefferson would later pen against the Crown - such as dissolving legislatures, fatiguing colonists into compliance, and trampling on self-government.
Bill and Dave explore how Britain’s missteps, Virginia’s leadership, and colonial cooperation all converged to make revolution possible. Along the way, they draw sharp parallels between the colonists’ struggle and today’s battles against bureaucratic overreach.
