Virginia Declaration of Rights

E22854

The Virginia Declaration of Rights is a foundational 1776 document of American constitutionalism that articulated key principles of individual liberties and religious freedom, later shaping the U.S. Bill of Rights and related constitutional clauses.

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Observed surface forms (2)


Statements (57)

Predicate Object
instanceOf declaration of rights
foundational document of American constitutionalism
legal document
author George Mason
coAuthor James Madison
country United States of America
surface form: United States
dateCreated 1776-06-12
hasInfluenceOn United States constitutional law
surface form: American constitutional law

state constitutional law in the United States
hasPart Section 1
Section 10
Section 11
Section 12
Section 13
Section 16
Section 2
Section 3
Section 4
Section 5
Section 6
Section 7
Section 8
Section 9
historicalPeriod American Revolutionary era
inception 1776
influenced Eighth Amendment to the United States Constitution
First Amendment to the United States Constitution
Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution
French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen
Ninth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Northwest Ordinance
Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution
Bill of Rights
surface form: United States Bill of Rights

other state bills of rights
jurisdiction Virginia
surface form: Commonwealth of Virginia
language English
legalStatus binding within Virginia
legislativeBody Virginia Convention
surface form: Virginia Convention of 1776
locationCreated Williamsburg
surface form: Williamsburg, Virginia
mainSubject due process of law
freedom of the press
individual liberties
popular sovereignty
prohibition of excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishments
protection against general warrants
religious freedom
right to assemble
right to bear arms
right to petition the government
separation of powers
trial by jury
partOf Virginia Constitution of 1776
precededBy English Bill of Rights
purpose to declare the rights of the people of Virginia
to limit governmental power
state Virginia
yearCreated 1776

Referenced by (7)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

George Mason authorOf Virginia Declaration of Rights
Establishment Clause historicalInfluence Virginia Declaration of Rights
this entity surface form: Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom
Bill of Rights influencedBy Virginia Declaration of Rights
Free Exercise Clause influencedBy Virginia Declaration of Rights
Declaration of Rights inspiredBy Virginia Declaration of Rights
subject surface form: Declaration of Rights (Massachusetts)
George Mason notableWork Virginia Declaration of Rights
Lee Resolution relatedTo Virginia Declaration of Rights
this entity surface form: Virginia Convention instructions of 1776