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1776-06-12 (adopted)

A Declaration of Rights

Section 2 makes magistrates the people’s trustees and servants, answerable to them. Section 7 rejects suspension of laws without representative consent. Section 10 condemns general warrants lacking supporting evidence or particular identification.

In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 1 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript.
In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 1 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript.Enlarge image ↗
In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 2 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript.
In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 2 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript.Enlarge image ↗
In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 3 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript.
In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 3 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript.Enlarge image ↗
In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 4 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript.
In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 4 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript.Enlarge image ↗

About this source

Sections 2 and 10 are the most direct founding-era statements here concerning official accountability and warrants. Section 15 addresses constitutional preservation through adherence to fundamental principles. Do not substitute the May draft for the June adopted text. This declaration states principles and rights; these passages do not themselves supply a universal criminal penalty for official misconduct. Archival links: Adopted text: NARA transcription: https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/virginia-declaration-of-rights

Date
1776-06-12 (adopted)
Credits
Virginia Convention; principally drafted by George Mason
Reference collection
National Archives transcription of the adopted Virginia Declaration of Rights

Archival identity and provenance reviewed. Historical source files preserved unchanged. No independent human proofreading. All four page images of the contemporary June 14, 1776 Purdie Virginia Gazette postscript are preserved; the adopted June 12 declaration occupies the first two pages. This printed witness is distinct from the adopted manuscript and the separate May draft. Complete National Archives adopted-text reading transcription also retained.

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In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 1 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript.

In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 1 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript. Source download: https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/rbc/rbpe/rbpe17/rbpe178/17802200/001dr.jpg Downloaded 12 October 2026; bytes preserved unchanged. SHA-256: 0541944ef4d73cfd493eb6205489274cb0d7d57cd076e4066da6ac84cfee404b. No claim of independently proofread embedded OCR.

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In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 2 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript.

In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 2 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript. Source download: https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/rbc/rbpe/rbpe17/rbpe178/17802200/002r.jpg Downloaded 12 October 2026; bytes preserved unchanged. SHA-256: c94c5cb8fdd9d05165466e779284f608fd8ec83722178f2eb1a4b526caff9033. No claim of independently proofread embedded OCR.

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In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 3 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript.

In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 3 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript. Source download: https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/rbc/rbpe/rbpe17/rbpe178/17802200/003r.jpg Downloaded 12 October 2026; bytes preserved unchanged. SHA-256: 5997e16a5db19eaf4f1761acbad2981892219354dc1f65b66b9ac670b4d27aa3. No claim of independently proofread embedded OCR.

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In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 4 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript.

In Convention. June 12, 1776. A Declaration of Rights ... Contemporary printing in Postscript to the Virginia Gazette (Alexander Purdie), June 14, 1776, No. 72; page image 4 of 4. Library of Congress item 2020774963, resource rbpe.17802200, Printed Ephemera Portfolio 178, Folder 22. Declaration occupies first two pages; later newspaper matter retained. This is a contemporary printed witness, not the adopted manuscript. Source download: https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/rbc/rbpe/rbpe17/rbpe178/17802200/004r.jpg Downloaded 12 October 2026; bytes preserved unchanged. SHA-256: 3180ef26ffa1ecf7bca8d8d70733cf00d860f1efa476da2be76ae9312a970617. No claim of independently proofread embedded OCR.

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Reading copy — virginia-adopted-text.pdf

Modern reading derivative of the archival source identified on this record; not an original artifact. Layout visually reviewed. Complete adopted declaration as a locally hosted reading transcription of the National Archives primary text. No image of the adopted original has been acquired; the separate May draft is not substituted for it. Follow-up preservation update, 12 October 2026: All four page images of the contemporary June 14, 1776 Purdie Virginia Gazette postscript are preserved; the adopted June 12 declaration occupies the first two pages. This printed witness is distinct from the adopted manuscript and the separate May draft. Complete National Archives adopted-text reading transcription also retained.

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Citation & reuse

National Archives transcription of the adopted Virginia Declaration of Rights. This is a transcription of a primary text; the hosting page does not identify custody or an accession number for the adopted original.

Historical primary texts are public domain. Source institutions credited separately. Modern editorial annotations are not licensed for republication by this record.

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