Which document did Virginia adopt in 1776 as an influential declaration of individual rights?

Virginia adopted the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776 as an influential declaration of individual rights.

The document was drafted chiefly by George Mason and adopted by the Fifth Virginia Convention on June 12, 1776. It declared that people possessed inherent rights and emphasized liberty, equality, popular sovereignty, and protections against arbitrary government.

The declaration influenced Virginia’s later constitution and helped shape political thought during the American founding. Its language also influenced the Declaration of Independence, state bills of rights, and the United States Bill of Rights.

The Virginia Declaration of Rights was not the same document as the U.S. Declaration of Independence. It was a state-level rights declaration adopted before independence was formally announced, while the Declaration of Independence explained the colonies’ separation from Britain.