Virginia Constitution and Bill of Rights Adopted

The Virginia Convention adopted George Mason's Bill of Rights on June 12 and a constitution on June 29, establishing an independent commonwealth and converting the House of Burgesses into a bicameral legislature.

People involved

• George Mason
• Patrick Henry

When this happened

Virginia Constitution and Bill of Rights Adopted occurred in June 12 and June 29, 1776, during the revolutionary era period of American history.

Where this happened

Virginia Constitution and Bill of Rights Adopted took place in Virginia. Explore the full history of Virginia and primary source records from this era.

The American Revolutionary War (1775–1783) grew from colonial resistance to British taxation without parliamentary representation — a dispute that radicalized through the Stamp Act (1765), the Townshend Acts (1767), and the Boston Massacre (1770). Fighting began at Lexington and Concord in April 1775; the Continental Congress declared independence on July 4, 1776. The Continental Army under George Washington faced severe shortages of supplies and troops, enduring the brutal winter at Valley Forge (1777–1778) before French alliance and French financing turned the military balance. Major engagements included Bunker Hill (1775), Trenton (1776), Saratoga (1777) — which secured French intervention — and Yorktown (1781), where British General Cornwallis surrendered to Washington. An estimated 25,000 American soldiers died in service, from combat, disease, and captivity. The Treaty of Paris (1783) recognized American independence and ceded British territory east of the Mississippi, though it left unresolved questions about Indigenous land rights and the status of Loyalists.

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