The first notes on the village date back to 1300-1350. In the place of the current basic school there used to be a fortress of the family of Čuch of Zásada; in the first half of the 15th century the family also owned the Navarov Castle.

Zásada has become famous all over the world for its glass manufacture, preserved up to now.

Zásada lies in the southern part of Jizerské hory; there are various interesting natural attractions and historical monuments in its surroundings. Under a centuries-old linden tree, which was uprooted by wind sometime around 1980, there used to be a statue of St. John of Nepomuk. In the summer of 1821 the statue was consecrated in the presence of many local citizens and pilgrims from the surrounding villages. The statue of St. John of Nepomuk still stands opposite the original old house of the village mayor and pub.