George Mason was the principal author of Virginia’s Declaration of Rights, adopted in 1776.
Mason drafted the declaration for the Fifth Virginia Convention, which adopted it on June 12, 1776, in Williamsburg. The document proclaimed inherent rights and stated that government derives its authority from the people.
Its language influenced later American constitutional development. Thomas Jefferson drew on its ideas while drafting the Declaration of Independence, and James Madison’s work on the United States Bill of Rights was also shaped by the earlier Virginia document.
Mason was not the sole contributor to the final text. Thomas Ludwell Lee, Robert Carter Nicholas, James Madison, and other convention members influenced particular provisions and amendments. “Principal author” is therefore more precise than calling him the only author.