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George Mason
George Mason was one of the most important of the Founding Fathers of the United States and through his leadership, the freedoms of .
In July of 1774, George Mason urged a boycott of British goods and promoted a congress among the colonies in a series of resolutions. That same August, the resolutions were adopted by Virginia and the Continental Congress was formed that October. These resolutions are credited for setting the framework for America’s democratic government.
In 1776, George Mason wrote the Virginia Constitution. As part of that effort, he wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights that provided specific guarantees of rights to each citizen. Thomas Jefferson later relied on the Virginia Declaration of Rights when he wrote the Declaration of Independence.
Later, George Mason was influential in convincing the Federalists to add the Bill of Rights to the United States Constitution. The Declaration of Rights was then relied upon when James Madison drafted the Bill of Rights. Because of this, George Mason is known as the “Father of the Bill of Rights.”
Mason’s influence even extended overseas as the Virginia Declaration of Rights was also the basis for the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen.
George Mason’s tireless work to ensure that each citizen had specific guarantees has reverberated throughout the world and many of the rights for which he fought are now considered fundamental rights in many countries.
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The Virginia Declaration of Rights (789KB / 6min 29 sec.)