George Mason

George Mason lived along the Potomac River at Gunston Hall, where he managed a plantation and studied law, history, and philosophy. Though not often in the spotlight, he carried notebooks filled with careful observations about government. In 1776 he wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, stating that all people are born equally free and outlining principles such as freedom of the press, fair trials, and the right to reform government when it becomes destructive.

Mason served in Virginia's House of Delegates and helped design the state's constitution. He also worked on early trade agreements between states and supported measures to supply the Continental Army. His neighbors respected him for plain speech and a willingness to challenge wealthy planters when he felt policies ignored ordinary citizens.

During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, Mason spoke frequently about the need to protect individual liberties. He opposed the slave trade, warned about the dangers of a powerful presidency, and demanded a bill of rights before the Constitution went to the states. When other delegates refused, he declined to sign the final document, writing his objections in a widely read pamphlet.

Mason's refusal to sign gave energy to Anti-Federalists who also wanted clearer safeguards. His Virginia Declaration of Rights became a direct model for the first ten amendments, since James Madison borrowed its wording on free exercise of religion, due process, and protection from unreasonable searches. Even those who disagreed with Mason admitted that his arguments pushed the new government to respect personal freedoms more carefully.

In later years Mason retired from most public duties because of ill health, though visitors still traveled to Gunston Hall for advice. He saw the Bill of Rights adopted in 1791, confirming that his efforts were not in vain. Today schools, universities, and civic groups remember him as a quiet but determined guardian of individual rights.