Virginia Memory, Library of Virginia
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THIS DAY IN VIRGINIA HISTORY

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June 12, 1776

George Mason, Declaration of Rights, 1776, Accession 21512, Personal Papers Collection, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia. George Mason, Declaration of Rights, 1776, Accession 21512, Personal Papers Collection, Library of Virginia, Richmond, Virginia.

The Fifth Virginia Revolutionary Convention Adopted the Declaration of Rights

Drafted by George Mason (1725–1792), the Virginia Declaration of Rights was later drawn on by Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826) while writing the Declaration of Independence and by James Madison (1751–1836) to frame the Bill of Rights. This copy of the declaration was prepared by Mason late in 1778 to demonstrate for a friend his role in drafting the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776. This "Copy" contains some variants from what is probably the original first draft, which is now in the Library of Congress.