Note: Single-source report; awaiting corroboration.
On June 12, 1776, Virginia adopted the Virginia Declaration of Rights, the first official declaration of individual liberties in the American Colonies. This document is considered one of the most consequential in the history of human freedom, directly influencing both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. The declaration emerged from the Fifth Virginia Convention’s efforts to establish self-governance and secure rights that no monarchy could revoke, including self-government, freedom of speech, religious liberty, and trial by jury. George Mason led this initiative, drawing on Enlightenment ideas, especially those of John Locke, to assert that all individuals are inherently free and possess rights from their Creator that no earthly authority can infringe upon. The declaration affirmed that political power resides with the people and that government exists to serve them—not the other way around.
The document also established foundational governance principles such as separation of powers, checks and balances, freedom of the press, and free exercise of religion, which continue to underpin the U.S. Republic. These ideas, often felt but rarely codified, created a legal foundation protecting citizens from tyranny. Thomas Jefferson used language and ideals from the Virginia Declaration in the Declaration of Independence weeks later, and James Madison relied on it as a blueprint for the Bill of Rights. The anniversary is a moment to renew the commitment to protecting the principles enshrined in the declaration and upholding the liberties that define America's role as a global advocate for freedom and prosperity.