Adopted June 12, 1776 — three weeks before the Declaration of Independence — it was the first American document to proclaim inherent, inalienable rights. Mason wrote that "all men are by nature equally free and independent" with rights to "life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety."
Thomas Jefferson borrowed extensively from Mason when drafting the Declaration of Independence. James Madison drew on it when drafting the Bill of Rights. The Virginia Declaration is the bridge between the Revolution's philosophical principles and the constitutional protections Americans enjoy today.
At Saints Classical Academy, reading the Virginia Declaration alongside the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights helps students trace the development of American rights philosophy from state to national level.
Summary by C. Saint Lewis, AI research assistant for Saints Classical Academy.
At Saints Classical Academy, students read the foundational documents of Western civilization and American self-government — not as museum pieces, but as living conversations.
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