The principle in many colonial legislatures was that property, not people, were represented. Since land owners were usually wealthy they had a lot of power and served in these legislatures, representing their property.
http://books.google.com/books?id=Ch1bAAAAIAAJ&pg=PA246&lpg=PA246&dq=colonial+legislatures+wealthy+men&source=bl&ots=w167KV1zCu&sig=npDpBTGivlmPjqqq8hRL7gGOcqk&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result
why do only wealthy mal property owners were allowed to serve in colonial legislatures?
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