Benjamin Harrison V in 1749 began following his father in being elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, initially for Surry County; however, he was not then of legal age to take his burgesses seat, which was delayed until 1752.
 His county representations in the Burgesses were as follows:
1752–1761 – Surry County
1766–1781 – Charles City County
1785–1786 – Surry County
1787–1790 – Charles City County
In his first year in the House of Burgesses in 1752, Harrison was appointed to the Committee of Propositions and Grievances, and thereby participated in a confrontation with King George and his Parliament and their appointed Governor of Virginia, Robert Dinwiddie.
There had developed a dispute with the governor over his levy of a pistole (a Spanish gold coin) upon all land patents that presaged the core issue of the American Revolution two decades later—taxation without representation.
Harrison assisted in drafting a complaint to the governor and the Crown, which read that the payment of any such levy would be, "deemed a betrayal of the rights and privileges of the people."
When the British Privy Council received the complaint, it replied "that the lower house is a subordinate lawmaking body, and where the King's decisions are concerned, it counts for nothing."
On this occasion a compromise was reached, allowing the governor's levy on parcels of less than 100 acres east of the mountains.

Harrison once again joined the fray with Britain after its adoption of the Townsend Acts, formally asserting the Parliament's right to tax the colonies.
He was appointed in 1768 to a special committee to draft a response for the colony.
A resolution resulted that asserted the right of British subjects to be taxed only by their elected representatives.
The American colonies achieved their objective with a repeal of the Townsend Acts, through the action of Lord North, who nevertheless continued the tax on tea.

Harrison was a signer in 1770 of an association of Virginia lawmakers and merchants boycotting British imports until the British Parliament repealed its tea tax.
He also joined in sponsoring a bill which declared that Parliament's laws were illegal if passed without the consent of the colonists.

Harrison at this time also served as a justice in Charles City County.
When the city of Williamsburg lacked the funds for construction of a courthouse, he and fellow delegate James Littlepage organized a group of "Gentlemen Subscribers" who purchased an unused building and presented it to the city in 1771.

Early in 1772, Harrison and Thomas Jefferson were among a group of six Virginia house delegates assigned to prepare and deliver an address to the King which called for an end to the importation of slaves from Africa.
Biographer Howard Smith indicates that the request was delivered and was unambiguous in its object to close the slave trade; the King rejected it.
Benjamin Harrison V in 1749 began following his father in being elected to the Virginia House of Burgesses, initially for Surry County; however, he was not then of legal age to take his burgesses seat, which was delayed until 1752.  His county representations in the Burgesses were as follows:
1752–1761 – Surry County
1766–1781 – Charles City County
1785–1786 – Surry County
1787–1790 – Charles City County
In his first year in the House of Burgesses in 1752, Harrison was appointed to the Committee of Propositions and Grievances, and thereby participated in a confrontation with King George and his Parliament and their appointed Governor of Virginia, Robert Dinwiddie. There had developed a dispute with the governor over his levy of a pistole (a Spanish gold coin) upon all land patents that presaged the core issue of the American Revolution two decades later—taxation without representation. Harrison assisted in drafting a complaint to the governor and the Crown, which read that the payment of any such levy would be, "deemed a betrayal of the rights and privileges of the people." When the British Privy Council received the complaint, it replied "that the lower house is a subordinate lawmaking body, and where the King's decisions are concerned, it counts for nothing." On this occasion a compromise was reached, allowing the governor's levy on parcels of less than 100 acres east of the mountains.
Harrison once again joined the fray with Britain after its adoption of the Townsend Acts, formally asserting the Parliament's right to tax the colonies. He was appointed in 1768 to a special committee to draft a response for the colony. A resolution resulted that asserted the right of British subjects to be taxed only by their elected representatives. The American colonies achieved their objective with a repeal of the Townsend Acts, through the action of Lord North, who nevertheless continued the tax on tea. 
Harrison was a signer in 1770 of an association of Virginia lawmakers and merchants boycotting British imports until the British Parliament repealed its tea tax. He also joined in sponsoring a bill which declared that Parliament's laws were illegal if passed without the consent of the colonists. 
Harrison at this time also served as a justice in Charles City County. When the city of Williamsburg lacked the funds for construction of a courthouse, he and fellow delegate James Littlepage organized a group of "Gentlemen Subscribers" who purchased an unused building and presented it to the city in 1771.
Early in 1772, Harrison and Thomas Jefferson were among a group of six Virginia house delegates assigned to prepare and deliver an address to the King which called for an end to the importation of slaves from Africa. Biographer Howard Smith indicates that the request was delivered and was unambiguous in its object to close the slave trade; the King rejected it.
Benjamin Harrison V