弗吉尼亚权利法案
乔治·梅森
弗吉尼亚权利法案被认为是殖民地草拟宪法的先导，它也是一部有关天赋人权问题最著名的纲领性文件。这部法案诞生于《独立宣言》发表前一个月。作为宪法框架的一部分，它率先列举了一批公民权利。作者乔治·梅森（George Mason 1725—1792）是弗吉尼亚的一个大地主，他坚信“根植于人性之中的伟大权力”。
历史学家理查德·伯恩斯坦指出：“权利”并非仅指那些不受政府干涉的个人权益，它还包括“正当之事”和行为准则。乔治·梅森因为重申有关个人权益与自由的原则，所以“ 在人类自由史上获得光荣地位”。
一、人人生来自由、平等与独立，并享有某些天赋之人权，即当他们结合为一个社会时 ，他们不能凭任何契约剥夺其后裔的这些权利；这些权利，即享受生活与自由的权利，包括获取与拥有财产、追求和享有安全与幸福。
二、所有的权力都源自人民，因而也都属于人民；管理者是他们的受托人与仆人，无论什么时候都应服从于人民。
三、政府应当是为了保证人民、国家和社会的共同利益和安全而设立的；在不同形式的政府之间，最好的政府是能够提供最大幸福和安全的政府，是能够最有效地防止弊政危险的政府。因此，当发现任何政府不合乎甚至违反这些宗旨时，社会大众享有不容置疑、不可剥夺和不能取消的权力并以公认为最有助于大众利益的方式，改革、变换或废除政府。
四、除非为了服务公众，任何个人或群体都无权从社会获取独占的或垄断的利益或特权 ；公共职位——行政长官、立法者和法官等职位不能世袭。
五、州的立法权、行政权应与司法权分立，并要有明确的界限；前两者的成员如能感受并分担人民的疾苦，就不至于压迫人民；他们应在规定的任职期限之后恢复平民身份，回到他们原来所在的机构，其空缺则通过经常的、确定的、定期的选举来填补；在选举当中，将按照法律规定，确定以前的所有成员或部分成员是否仍符合连任的条件。
六、选举议会代表的各项选举，都应该自由进行；凡是能够证明与本社会有永久性共同利益关系并属于本社会的人都享有选举权；未经选举人本人或其代表同意，不能对选举人征税或剥夺其财产供公众使用；同样，选举人也不受任何未经他们以同样方式同意的法律的约束。
七、任何当局未经人民代表同意而中止法律或执行法律，都有损于人民的权利，都不得行使。
八、在一切有关可判死刑的案件或刑事诉讼中，人们有权了解对其起诉的理由和性质， 有权与起诉人和证人对质，要求查证对其有利的证据，并有权要求来自其邻近地区的公正陪审团进行迅速审理；没有经过陪审团的一致同意，不能确认他有罪，也不能强迫他自证其罪 ；除非根据当地法律或由其他地位相同的公民所组成的陪审团裁决，不能剥夺任何人的自由 。
九、不得要求人们缴纳过量的保释金或过重的罚金，也不得判处极其残酷的刑罚。
十、在没有获得犯罪事实的证据之前，对官员和执法人员签发一般搜捕令，使其搜查可疑地点，或拘捕未经指名或其罪行未经阐明且无确凿证据足以佐证之人，这种搜捕令实属不可容忍并且是压制性的，绝对不能签发。
十一、在财产纠纷和公民之间的诉讼案件当中，应由陪审团进行裁定，这一古老的审判程序比其他任何审判程序更加可取，它神圣不可侵犯，应予以保持。
十二、出版自由乃自由的重要保证之一，绝不能加以限制；只有专制政体才会限制出版自由。
十三、由受过军事训练的公民组成并且管理得当的民兵，是自由州正当、自然而安全的保障；在和平时期，应避免设置常常会危及自由的常备军；在任何情况下，军队都应严格服从文职权力，并受其领导。
十四、公民有权享有一个统一的政府。因此，在弗吉尼亚地区内，不得在弗吉尼亚政府之外另行设立任何政府。
十五、必须坚守公正、适度、节制、勤俭等品德，遵守各项基本法律，否则任何公民都不能保有自由的政府，也无法享受上帝所赐的自由。
十六、宗教，亦即我们对创世主所负有的责任以及尽这种责任的方式，只能由理智和信念加以引导，不能诉诸暴力，因此，任何人都拥有按照良知的指示自由信仰宗教的平等权利 ；同样，所有人都有责任以基督的节制、博爱和仁慈对待他人。
Virginia Declaration of Rights
George Mason
I That all 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 lif e and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.
II That all power is vested in, and consequently derived from, the people; t hat magistrates are their trustees and servants, and at all times amenable to th em.
III That government is, or ought to be, instituted for the common benefit, p rotection, and security of the people, nation or community; of all the various m odes and forms of government that is best, which is capable of producing the gre atest degree of happiness and safety and is most effectually secured against the danger of maladministration; and that, whenever any government shall be found i nadequate or contrary to these purposes, a majority of the community hath an ind ubitable, unalienable, and indefeasible right to reform, alter or abolish it, in such manner as shall be judged most conducive to the public weal.
IV That no man, or set of men, are entitled to exclusive or separate emolume nts or privileges from the community, but in consideration of public services; w hich, not being descendible, neither ought the offices of magistrate, legislator , or judge be hereditary.
V That the legislative and executive powers of the state should be separate and distinct from the judicative; and, that the members of the two first may be restrained from oppression by feeling and participating the burthens of the peop le, they should, at fixed periods, be reduced to a private station, return into that body from which they were originally taken, and the vacancies be supplied b y frequent, certain, and regular elections in which all, or any part of the form er members, to be again eligible, or ineligible, as the laws shall direct.
VI That elections of members to serve as representatives of the people in as sembly ought to be free; and that all men, having sufficient evidence of permane nt common interest with, and attachment to, the community have the right of suff rage and cannot be taxed or deprived of their property for public uses without t heir own consent or that of their representatives so elected, nor bound by any l aw to which they have not, in like manner, assented, for the public good.
VII That all power of suspending laws, or the execution of laws, by any auth ority without consent of the representatives of the people is injurious to their rights and ought not to be exercised.
VIII That in all capital or criminal prosecutions a man hath a right to dema nd the cause and nature of his accusation to be confronted with the accusers and witnesses, to call for evidence in his favor, and to a speedy trial by an impar tial jury of his vicinage, without whose unanimous consent he cannot be found gu ilty, nor can he be compelled to give evidence against himself; that no man be d eprived of his liberty except by the law of the land or the judgement of his pee rs.
IX That excessive bail ought not to be required, nor excessive fines imposed ; nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted.
X That general warrants, whereby any officer or messenger may be commanded t o search suspected places without evidence of a fact committed, or to seize any person or persons not named, or whose offense is not particularly described and supported by evidence, are grievous and oppressive and ought not to be granted.
XI That in controversies respecting property and in suits between man and ma n, the ancient trial by jury is preferable to any other and ought to be held sac red.
XII That the freedom of the press is one of the greatest bulwarks of liberty and can never be restrained but by despotic governments.
XIII That a well regulated militia, composed of the body of the people, trai ned to arms, is the proper, natural, and safe defense of a free state; that stan ding armies, in time of peace, should be avoided as dangerous to liberty; and th at, in all cases, the military should be under strict subordination to, and be g overned by, the civil power.
XIV That the people have a right to uniform government; and therefore, that no government separate from, or independent of, the government of Virginia, ough t to be erected or established within the limits thereof.
XV That no free government, or the blessings of liberty, can be preserved to any people but by a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugalit y, and virtue and by frequent recurrence to fundamental principles.
XVI That religion, or the duty which we owe to our Creator and the manner of discharging it, can be directed by reason and conviction, not by force or viole nce; and therefore, all men are equally entitled to the free exercise of religio n, according to the dictates of conscience; and that it is the mutual duty of al l to practice Christian forbearance, love, and charity towards each other.