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The Legislative Assembly of Virginia, more commonly known as the Virginia General Assembly, is the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is a bicameral body, which means it is comprised of two separate chambers: the Virginia Senate and the Virginia House of Delegates. The General Assembly is one of the oldest legislative bodies in the Western Hemisphere, with its origins dating back to July 30, 1619, when the first representative legislative assembly in the New World convened at Jamestown, Virginia.
This body was established by the Virginia Company, which was a group of English settlers and investors, and it aimed to provide a means of self-government and to address the needs and concerns of the colonists. When the Virginia Company's charter was revoked, Virginia became a royal colony, and the General Assembly continued as the legislative body under the direct authority of the Crown, but with a significant degree of local autonomy due to the distance from England.
The establishment of the Virginia General Assembly laid the groundwork for democratic governance and has deeply influenced the structure and functioning of later legislative bodies, both within the United States and in other democracies. The General Assembly is tasked with enacting laws, crafting the state budget, and shaping the policies that govern the Commonwealth of Virginia.