“[A]ll 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…and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.” – The Virginia Declarations of Rights, ratified June 12, 1776

Pop quiz: who was the main author of the Declaration of Independence? If you answered Thomas Jefferson, you’re mostly correct. But Jefferson’s words, as eloquent as they remain today, drew heavily from Virginia’s own declaration—written weeks before the Continental Congress of 1776 called for the famous Declaration.

Almost two months prior, the Fifth Virginia Convention at Williamsburg voted on May 15 to formally separate from the mother country. In doing so, the statesmen tapped Virginian George Mason to draft a Declaration of Rights as the “basis and foundation of government” moving forward. Other colonies wrote similar statements and voted for similar measures leading up to the grand meeting in Philadelphia.

By the time Virginian Thomas Jefferson started drafting the Declaration of Independence in late June, he had multiple sources to pull from and be inspired by, especially the Virginia Declaration of Rights. A total of 86 changes were made to Jefferson’s original draft. Finally, on July 4, 1776, the Continental Congress officially adopted the famous document that changed the course of American—and Virginia—history.

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