Transcripts For CSPAN3 George Masons Declaration Of Rights

Hello. Great to be back with you all. I hope you had a delicious and enjoyable lunch. So many wonderful places here in alexandria. I want to extend a special thanks and appreciation to Historic Alexandria and the american or the emerging revolutionary war for inviting me to be part of this symposium and spend some time with all of you today. I also want to extend a special welcome to all those participating remotely. Thank you for joining us. And of course, a special thanks for all of you for being here today. Im very, very happy and very honored to be here today. I learned a tremendous amount and thoroughly enjoyed all of the presentations from this morning and really just looking forward to spending a little bit of time this afternoon talking with you about george mason, his ideas, and most particularly the virginia declaration of rights and their Global Impact. So just to get us started in building off some of what we learned this morning. Our George George mason, the fourth was a fourth generation virginian. It was his great grandfather, george, the first who sided with the crown. The royalists in the english civil war, which we learned a little bit more about this morning. And as a result, as we also learned this morning, it was prudent for him to get out of england at a certain point. And as a result, he was able to acquire about 900 acres of land in what is now Stafford County in the county of virginia, and came over at that time in about 1652. It was his son, george, the second, who first acquired what is now known as mason neck and began to establish the familys plantation on what is now known as mason neck. Virginia just about 20 miles south by the river from where we are now. It was his son. When anybody like to guess where were going with this george, the third who first established a residence on what is now mason neck. And it was george mason, the fourth who was born there in 1725. And i want to begin by just providing a little bit more context for george himself as a person, because its really important to the larger story of his ideas and what he later articulated, not only in the virginia declaration of rights, but in several other really Important Documents that he wrote. So, as i said, george mason was born on what is now gunston hall on mason neck, virginia, in 1725. He was the oldest with two younger siblings. Unfortunately, his father, george, the third, died when he was only nine years old. George, the third, drowned while crossing the potomac in a ferry accident, trying to get over to some Family Holdings in maryland. And it was at that point that his mother and i found it necessary to return to her familys plantation again down near fredericksburg, in what is now Stafford County. And was an amazing woman in her own right. I wish we knew a little bit more about her. She never remarried, but she prioritized several things for her three young children, one of which was education. And while george never attended formal school and made sure that all of her children had access to tutors, and importantly for our story, george mason also had tremendous access to the library of his uncle. His uncle was a gentleman by the name of john mercer. John was one of the leading lawyers in the colony of virginia at the time, and he also had one of the largest libraries in virginia at the time. And george, we know from his writings, immersed himself in that library. He was a voracious reader and just really, as i said, immersed himself in learning as much as he could. And this was really the foundation of what became the expression of his ideas. Later, when george turned 21, as a result of his father dying without a will, he inherited the entirety of the familys estate. This estate included at that time over 20,000 acres of land and over two dozen enslaved africanamericans. It was very shortly thereafter, very shortly after he turned 21, that he returned to mason neck. He returned to his familys plantation, then called newtown, and once again took up residence on the property where he was born very shortly thereafter. He met a young woman also named anne. And i work from across the river in maryland, and they were married in 1753. They had a child. It was a boy. Would anybody like to guess what his name was . George mason. Very good. George mason. The first if youre keeping score at home or up to five, george masons now there will be more. Stay tuned. And as their family began to grow, they began to build what is now called gunston hall, their home. I just want to go quickly through some pictures of the house. But the house itself was one of the first brick colonies or first brick houses built in the colony. And it was truly, as you all know, an expression of george mason and his families as wealth, status and prestige. As a leading member of the virginia gentry. And what you see here is the central passage. Again, i will go quickly through this. The formal dining space, the formal parlor. And here is the little parlor. And what is important to note, and we will talk a little bit more about this as we progress through our conversation this afternoon. Is that, again, what you see here is not only an architecture and architecturally significant house, but truly an expression of his wealth and his status. And one of the one of the realities, any time were talking about george mason, is the inherent contrast fiction between his ideas, the choices he made and the actions he subsequently took and the wealth that he enjoyed largely based on the work done by enslaved africanamericans afforded him his education and the opportunity to immerse himself not only in learning, but to immerse himself in the ideas, the Public Service and the opportunities that later resulted in him writing documents like the virginia declaration of rights. And thats why its important to us for at least to at least acknowledge and recognize that content. And as such, at this point, it became increasingly a responsibility of george to serve in public office. And in the late 1750, since hes elected for the first time to the house of burgesses then meeting in williamsburg, he was elected to a three year term. And one of the things i like to ask folks is three year term, they met somewhat regularly, but also somewhat infrequently, as you know. Would anybody like to guess how often george traveled to williamsburg to officially take his seat in the burgesses . He went just once, which i think still may be the worst attendance record of any elected official in the history of virginia. Well put that aside for just a minute. But whats interesting about this is and i like to share with people is that george wrote frequently throughout his life that he always considered his greatest responsibility, being that of a husband and a father. And he truly valued that role. He also wrote frequently that the idea of a magistrate, meaning an elected official, being hereditary or serving for life was absurd. And he had a really interest being belief and perception on what the role of a Public Servant should be. And whats interesting is what really motivated george to serve when called upon was when it was aligned with his responsibility as a husband and father. And when he was really called and felt called to take action and to participate. My guess is in the late 1750s, when he was elected, there wasnt enough to motivate that interest. So he only made it to williamsburg once. But what we begin to see as we move into the 1760s, an increasing level of activism on the part of george mason. It starts a little bit slowly, but it progressively builds. In the 1760s, he begins to write letters that are published in newspapers in england, decrying the acts of both parliament and the crown. But he doesnt do it under his name. He does it under the pseudonym of a virginia planter. But as we get a little further down the line, he again becomes much more active. And his first real moment of becoming more active is in 1774, when he goes to the good, the home of his very, very good friend Business Partner and neighbor, George Washington. And they write the fairfax results. This was a document written at mount vernon collaboratively by washington and mason. Many of you all familiar with this. But as you see, they write, we cannot be considered as a conquered country because we are descendants, not of the conquered, but of the conquerors. And this document goes on to make implied threats of military action and in so doing, really challenge really challenge the unconstitutional actions, what were believed and perceived to be by virginia and by many others as being unconstitutional. One of the other really interesting and important parts of this document is that youll see here that it clearly stated the american claims to equal rights under the british constitution represent tension in parliament, control over taxation, control over military forces within their borders, control over judicial powers and more. And as we heard this morning in our latest presentation. This all goes back to that earlier period of time. And theyre building upon these actions and this ideology that had been previously expressed by way of justifying and explaining their own grievances and eventually justifying their own actions. So this is really when mason first becomes much more publicly involved. And one of the other important things to remember about mason is that he is of an older generation compared to most of those who rise to prominence during the revolutionary period. Hes older than washington. Hes a generation older than jefferson and and madison. His closest friends and his closest colleagues through much of this time are not only washington, but the lee brothers, Richard Henry Francis Lightfoot and thomas gladwell. But also Patrick Henry. They are closer and more similar in age. And even though he never attended formal school at this critical moment in the revolutionary movement, he is looked up to as one of the leading intellectual tools of this revolutionary ideology. He was not known for his oratory. What he was known for at this time, and what many of his colleagues and peers and those with whom he was working recognized about him was his ability to bring a lot of concepts and philosophic ideas together and then to articulate them clearly and compellingly. And this is what he begins to do. So as a result, when the Second Continental Congress is getting ready to convene in philadelphia, he is elected to serve in the Second Continental Congress. At this point, however, his first wife, anne, his beloved first wife, and had only recently passed away from complicated visions with childbirth. And the two twins that she bore also passed away at that time. So remembering back to what i said, hes considering his first obligation, that of husband and father. He declines the appointment to serve on the Second Continental Congress and decides instead to stay at gunston hall and to take care of his family. This, ironically, is how we end up with the two lee brothers that signed the declaration of independence, because he recommends that Francis Lightfoot lee go in his place, joining Richard Henry lee again, representative of their very close relationship and as you know, the Continental Congress calls on all of the colonies to call a convention to establish new governments in each of those colonies, as theyre contemplating what their next step will be. And georges is immediately elected to serve in the fifth virginia convention, getting ready to meet in williamsburg and somewhat reluctantly, he agrees to serve now in true george mason fashion. He shows up over two weeks late, lingering a little bit at home. But as soon as he arrives in williamsburg, hes appointed to the committee charged with creating a new government for the colony of virginia. Now he goes to his First Committee meeting on may 18th, 1776. Theres close to 40 people on this committee. It includes amongst them a very young, aspirational leader by the name of james madison. And what you see almost immediately is george writes a letter to his good friend, Richard Henry lee in philadelphia. And i will read this for you all, in which he says, we are now going upon the most important of all subjects government, the Committee Appointed to prepare a plan is according to custom over charged with useless members. He feels pretty strongly about this. We shall, in all probability have a thousand ridiculous end in practical proposals. And of course, a plan formed of heterogeneous, jarring and unintelligible and gradients. This can be prevented only by a few men of integrity and abilities whose countrys interests lie next to their hearts. Now, weve all been on committees that we thought had been too big. Weve all probably wrestled at some point in our lives with some of the challenges associated with committee work, particularly a committee, if we think is overcharged with useless members. So what do we do when that happens . We have a couple of choices. What do we do . Well, george mason decides to retire to the tavern. So at this point, george mason returns to his lodging at the raleigh tavern in williamsburg. And over the next nine days, largely without interruption, the only real interruption, our visits towards the end of this nine period, nine day period from thomas will. But over this nine day period, he writes the first constitu option for virginia and most importantly for our conversation today, the virginia declaration of rights. And in writing, the virginia declaration of rights, he begins by saying in article one 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 life and liberty with the means of acquiring and possessing property and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety. Now, one of the interesting things about this article, one that you see here, is that this version of article one is the draft that was formally ratified by the convention. Several weeks later, masons first draft did not include that clause. When they enter into a state of society. When mason wrote his first draft, he was providing and articulating rights that are listed here to a much potentially a much broader crosssection of society. And when it went to the committee and then eventually to the convention, there were great reservations expressed about that. For all the reasons we can imagine, because to be in a state of society, not only did you have to be white and male, you had to own property, among other things. So this this formally ratified version excluded a number of people that mason, in his first draft, meant to be included, which is an interesting aspect to this. Mason goes on in the remaining 15 articles, and im not going to read all 15 to you, but in the remaining articles, he goes on to articulate ideas such as that all power is vested in and consequently derived from the people that magistrates are their trustees and servants, and that all times and then amenable to them in article two. Then in article three, as you see here, he writes that government exists and shall exist for the Common Benefit protection and security of the people. And then in the second section, within article three, he writes that if government is found not to be fulfilled with those responsibilities, that its the moral obligation of the people to abolish, amend, or to reform, alter or abolish that government. And again, youre seeing many of the themes which we heard about this morning here articulated more formally in the declaration of rights and brought together in one document, it in article six, something that was very important to mason was this concept of representation. And we see this a little bit later in some of his other writings. He believed and expressed his belief that that government should be truly representative of the people and that elections should be free. Theres a middle section within the declaration of rights, which were not going to talk as much about today. That is more more closely associated with concepts of human rights protections against cruel and unusual punishment, provisions for trial by a jury of your peers. Provisions against excessive bail. And then when we get down to article 12, one of my personal favorites that the freedom of the press is one of the greatest bulwarks of liberty and can never be restrained. But by despotic governments, youll see in article 15 a really interesting aspect to what mason has written here, what mason has written in the virginia declaration of rights are not only the rights that he believes you are entitled to, but he also identifies, as you see in article 15, what you must do, what responsibility you have to truly benefit from, and access these rights, which is unusual at this particular time. Hes saying you must have a firm adherence to justice, moderation, temperance, frugality and virtue, and adds to clause at the end. And by frequent recurrence, two fundamental principles. Hes not only telling people what rights you have, but how you need to behave, how you need to act, which i think is interesting and compelling. And then when you look at article. 16 one, which also subsequently underwent revision when it was presented back to the committee and to the full Convention Revision that was suggested by madison, you see here this concept of freedom of religion. One of the ones ive not listed here, which ill just touch based on briefly since its closely associated not only with some of what mason articulated in the fairfax resolves, but also some of what we learned a little bit more about this morning is that mason writes in article 11, i believe that one of the greatest threats to liberty and the rights of the people, particularly in a time of peace, is a standing army. He believes that a body of wellregulated militia is the best way to ensure the rights and liberties and freedoms of the people. And as a result, as we as virginia and the colonies move forward into the war itself. Mason sons all serve in the virginia militia. None of them serve in the continental army, sort of one piece of evidence supporting his belief that standing armies were not the best way for a government or for a country to proceed. That said, he did provide a lot of mat