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

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

The document was drafted primarily by George Mason and adopted by the Fifth Virginia Convention on June 12, 1776. It declared that people possessed inherent rights, including life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness, and that government existed for the common benefit of the community.

The declaration influenced Virginia’s later constitution and helped shape the United States Bill of Rights. Its language also contributed to the broader political vocabulary of the American Revolution, although it did not immediately create equal political rights for everyone.

A common mix-up is confusing it with the Declaration of Independence, adopted several weeks later. The Virginia document concerned the principles and structure of government within Virginia, while the Declaration announced the colonies’ separation from Britain.