Gunston hall, a National Historic landmark in virginia, was home to one of the lesserknown Founding Fathers, torch mason. 7076 1776e virginia declaration of rights, was a delicate in the federal convention of philadelphia, abused to sign the constitution because it did not include a fellow rights. It dropped down to field level and a space in the front with a number of sand dunes. At the river there is this natural brick that creates this effect called the hole in the wall. Crop, it was originally about 5500 acres. Mason started with tobacco. All along that side of the property, beyond the house, beyond this landscaped area, would have been tobacco fields. He caught on early that tobacco is not going to be as a viable for long. It, there iss on no guarantee the goods are going to arrive in good condition. In the 1770s, he switches to wheat. Sold ine harvested and the colonies, so it is much more lucrative at that time. It also helped during the american revolution, because he could sell the excess wheat to the army. He ends up serving as a quartermaster, when he gets the title colonel mason. He didnt ever add on to the house, the house that you see now is what he built in 1769. Most other Founding Fathers did actually add third floors and wings like mount vernon, or monticello, which jefferson built out to be this grand home. Jefferson,n like going into deep debt doing things like this. Mason didnt want to be in that position himself. The house we see is what he ended up with in his lifetime. Wrote in 1884on that george mason was among the best of men. Mason was really well known and well respected by the founding generation. People Like Washington jefferson, madison. Even though his brother is a lawyer, george mason it seems was more wellknown in his capacity to think about law in ways that helped shape government. Known through his work throughout the colonies. He was really wellrespected in that period. I think that changes when he refuses to sign the constitution, especially with washington. Washington was the president of the constitutional convention, he was fed up with mission. The fact that he was standing up and disagreeing with the constitution. Their relationship cooled after that. But mason was really wellreceived by the antifederalists, the people who did not agree with the constitution. It changes over time that he is regarded in his lifetime. After his lifetime, that starts falling away. By the middle of the 19th century, people know to some extent who he was. People here in virginia, especially. After that, he drops off and we stop seeing him until the 1950s. George mason did write about slavery, he did several times in letters, public documents, his objections to the constitution. He was upset the constitution did not do anything to the institution of slavery, institution of the slave trade until 1807. He said in a speech transcribed by James Madison during the convention that it was a National Think and it would be followed by calamities. Looking on that today you can see as a letter leader to the civil war, which is fascinating. Mason wrote about it in other ways. In 1774. About it he wrote about it in letters he sent to friends. He was very much opposed to the slave trade. He thought it was evil and encouraged people like himself to become tyrants. George mason inherited his fathers property at the age of 10. George mason the third died in a freak boating accident crossing the Potomac River in december of 1835. George mason becomes owner of the property and owner of the enslaved people that lived on it. He did not inherit any of his mothers slaves, they went to his brother and sister upon her death. He did inherit the slaves that belonged to his father. It is really important george mason owned people. He also opened the door for us to continue to have the conversation 50 years later. We open the door to expand to who the declaration of rights applies. What was it about him that made him break the declaration of rights . We think he started writing these documents because he was an autodidact, he was selftaught in many ways. He did get private schooling, his mother was in charge of his schooling. She made sure all three of her children got a good education. Mason was able rations reader and was coming across john locke, rousseau, hobbes, really compiling these things and thinking about them in many ways. Obligated as his duty to society to be involved in politics. He took with him this Extensive Knowledge of law and human rights as they were written at the time of the enlightenment and combined them together with this obligation and duty he felt and created this document that still lives today. Welcome to lynchburg, virginia. Located in the foothills near the change river, it is known as the city of seven hills. A lot of evangelicals thought that i lost my mind because trump had run casinos and else. Er i had seen what applying financial