With these resolutions adopted on May 15, 1776, Virginia’s Fifth Revolutionary Convention instructs Virginia’s delegates to the Continental Congress to propose a resolution declaring independence from Britain. The convention also calls for a committee to prepare a Declaration of Rights and plan of government for Virginia.
The Virginia Declaration of Rights, passed by the Fifth Revolutionary Convention on June 12, 1776, articulates the essential principles of republicanism and a vision of government for the commonwealth. The document influenced other state declarations, the Declaration of Independence, and the U.S. Bill of Rights. This version, revised from the draft authored by George Mason, was the declaration adopted by the convention.
This draft of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, dated May 27, 1776, was crafted by a committee within the Fifth Revolutionary Convention. This draft was published in other states in early June and significantly influenced their founding documents. The convention approved the final version of the declaration on June 12, 1776. Angle brackets < > in the text reflect the substantive changes from George Mason’s first draft.
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