John Locke, George Mason,
The Virginia Bill of Rights, and the U.S Constitution
Virginia Bill of Rights
The Virginia Bill of Rights was written in 1776. Many of the ideas that are in the Constitution, were established in the Virginia Bill of Rights. The Virginia Bill of Rights contains the ides that all men are created equal, that the power is vested in the people, that the Legislative and Executive branches should be separated, representatives should be elected by the people, the right to a speedy trial, no excessive bail, freedom of religion, press, and speech, and that the state should have a well regulated militia. Almost all of these basic ideas are established in the U.S Constitution.
George Mason
George Mason is one of the nation's Founding Fathers and is known as "The Father of the U.S Bill of Rights". He drafted the Virginia Bill of Rights and was appointed by the state of Virginia to meet in 1786, to help revise The Articles of Confederation, and is greatly credited with helping form the Constitution. Some of his ideas include making everyone equal, separating the Executive and Legislative branches, and freedom of religion.
John Locke
John Locke was an English philosopher who is considered one of the most influential minds of the Enlightenment period. His work had great influence on many thinkers, including the American Revolutionaries. John Locke believed that to form the desired democracy, it must be created by the people, and the government must listen to the voice of the people. He also believed in life, liberty, and property, as well as the idea that the people should be able to preserve their inalienable rights.
Natural Law
Natural Law is defined as a law or body of laws derived from nature that and believed to be binding upon human actions apart from laws established by human authority. Natural Law is reflected in the Constitution by the principle of limited government, and the practice of guaranteeing traditional rights.