Virginia Documents

What document served as a model for the Bill of Rights?

• Declaration of Independence

• Virginia Declaration of Rights

• Magna Carta

Which document guaranteed the rights of Englishmen to the colonists?

• Charters of the Virginia Company of London

• Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

• Articles of Confederation

Stated freedom of religious beliefs and opinions.

• Charters of the Virginia Company of London

• The Constitution

• Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

In 1215, King John I signed the Magna Carta. This important document established what idea for the first time?

• Virginia would officially be a colony of England.

• The people would be served by only public officials.

• The king would be subject to the same set of laws as his subjects.

• Power in the government would be passed to the people.

The colonists who chose to travel to the New World were granted the same rights they had as English citizens through what document written by King James I in 1606? This led to the founding of Jamestown.

• Magna Carta

• Charters of the Virginia Company of London

• Declaration of Independence

• Articles of Confederation

The Virginia Declaration of Rights, written by George Mason in 1775, served what important purpose in U.S. history?

• Established a structure of government for the United States.

• Explained the need for independence due to the violation of rights by King John of England.

• Served as a model for the U.S. Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution.

• Established Virginia as a state within the United States and no longer just a colony.

The Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom had importance to the formation of the U.S. Constitution because it...

• Established Christianity as the national religion for the United States.

• Denied rights to Protestant reformers who wanted to break away from the Catholic church.

• Protected the choice of what faith to worship and separated the church from state.

• Gave religion a part in decision-making for the government of the United States.

Select the 3 unalienable rights listed in the Virginia Declaration of Rights (& the Declaration of Independence).

• Life

• Liberty

• Death

• Taxes

• The Pursuit of Happiness

Who was the author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights?

• Thomas Jefferson

• George Mason

• George Washington

• John Adams

The English Petition of Right established the principle of Limited Government. This means:

• Stated that all Virginians had certain rights including LIFE, LIBERTY, & HAPPINESS

• Government is not all powerful & can only do what it has the power to do.

• Everyone is expected to obey the law, even those in power.

• people elect public officeholders to make laws and conduct gov't for them.