Important Documents in Virginia’s History
1 Charters of the Virginia Company of London: These were granted to
the Virginia Company of London by King James of England. They gave
the Virginia Company the right to establish a colony in America. The
charters also stated that the colonists who came to America would
have the same rights as the people living back in England.
2 Declaration of Independence: This document was written by Thomas
Jefferson and was sent to King George III of England. It stated that all
people were created equal and had certain basic rights. These rights
included life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The Declaration of
Independence was signed by members of the Continental Congress,
and the Revolutionary War followed.
3 Virginia Declaration of Rights: This document was written by George
Mason as a part of Virginia’s state constitution. It stated that the most
rights belonged to the people, not government, and people should
hav e freedom of the press and freedom of religion. The Bill of Rights
(part of the U.S. Constitution) was based on this document.
4 Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom: This document was written by
Thomas Jefferson and stated that all people in Virginia would have the
right to worship as they pleased. This document was the basis for the
First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution.
5 U.S. Constitution: This is the plan for our national government and was
written during the Constitutional Convention in 1787. James Madison
had good ideas about government and kept careful notes during the
convention. He also helped the delegates to compromise when a
disagreement came up.
He is known as the “Father of the
Constitution.” Things that are added to the constitution are called
amendments. The first ten amendments are called the Bill of Rights.
I f the fish tells about the Declaration of I ndependence, color it RED.
I f the fish tells about the Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom, color it ORANGE.
I f the fish tells about the Charters of the Virginia Company of London, color it YELLOW.
I f the fish tells about the Virginia Declaration of Rights, color it GREEN.
I f the fish tells about the U.S. Constitution, color it PURPLE.
This was written by
George Mason.
It is the plan for our
National Government
Written by Thomas
Jefferson and sent
to King George III.
It gave the Virginia
Company the right
to start a colony in
America
This said all Virginians
could worship as they
pleased.
James Madison was a
great help in writing
this.
It gave the
colonists the
same rights as
the people in
England.
The Bill of
Rights was
based on this.