Changes

'''George Mason''' was one of the [[Founding Fathers]] of the [[United States of America]]. He was an influential member of the [[Continental Congress]], and a signer of the [[Declaration of Independence]]. A [[Virginia]]n, Mason wrote the [[Virginia Declaration of Rights]], upon which the later U.S. [[Bill of Rights]] would be based.

'''George Mason''' was one of the [[Founding Fathers]] of the [[United States of America]]. He was an influential member of the [[Continental Congress]], and a signer of the [[Declaration of Independence]]. He was a [[Virginia]] tobacco planter who grew wealthy using slave labor.

Mason wrote the [[Virginia Declaration of Rights]] in 1776; [[Thomas Jefferson]] used it as inspiration for the [[Declaration of Independence.

The opening philosophical section is closely based on Virginia's "Declaration of Rights," a notable summary of current revolutionary philosophy, and adopted by Virginia in June 1776.<ref> see [http://gunstonhall.org/documents/vdr.html "The Virginia Declaration of Rights," Final Draft, 12 June 1776]</ref>

::''That all men are by nature equally free and independent, and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.''

Mason was instrumental in convincing the [[Constitutional Congress]] to include the Bill of Rights to the [[Constitution]]. Mason was a close friend of [[George Washington]], but was an [[Antifederalist]] along with others like [[Patrick Henry]] and [[Thomas Jefferson]] (Washington did not believe in parties, but his policies put him in the [[Federalist Party|Federalist]] camp). [[George Mason University]] is named for him.

::''We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.''

 

[[Image:Mason-g.jpg|thumb|420px]]

In 1788 Mason demanded that the new Constitution include a [[Bill of Rights]]; to secure adoption in Virginia [[James Madison]] agreed, and the Bil of Rights was adopted in 1791. Mason was a close friend of [[George Washington]], but was an [[Antifederalist]] along with [[Patrick Henry]].  

 

[[George Mason University]] is named for him.

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mason, George}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Mason, George}}

 

[[Category: Founding Fathers]]

[[Category: Founding Fathers]]