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1. Virginia, home of Thomas Jefferson, author of the Dec of Independence, adopted its 1st constitution just days before the former document. It was penned by fellow Virginian, George Mason. As the 3rd state w/ a constitution, it’s our focus this week. #50weeks50Constitutions 
2. A convention began in Williamsburg on May 6, 1776 to determine the colony’s future relationship with Britain. In took only 9 days for the delegates to instruct their representatives at the Continental Congress to declare independence.
3. After this, the convention resolved that a Declaration of Rights be created and a plan for government be formulated. A government that would “secure substantial and equal liberty to the people.”
4. The first section of the Virginia Declaration of Rights declared: “all men are by nature . . . independent and have certain inherent rights . . . enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring property, and pursuing . . . happiness.” Sound familiar?
5. It should be! Jefferson took those words of Mason and used a very similar version in the Declaration of Independence just weeks later.
6. The Virginia Dec also stated the people possess an inalienable right to abolish or alter the government if it's contrary to the common benefit and security of the people. This was similar to one in NH’s constitution we discussed previously . . .
7. The constitution established a bicameral legislature distinguished by method of representation and term lengths. All bills had to originate in the house, and all bills to raise revenue had to be accepted or reject in *their entirety* by the Senate.
8. While the Virginia Constitution provided for a Governor, the position was extremely limited. The Governor was selected by the General Assembly, served a one-year term, and was limited to three consecutive terms. Further, the office had no veto power.
9. The biggest oversight of this constitution is it didn’t set out a process for amendment. Jefferson and Madison recognized this problem, & called for a new convention to fix how representation was apportioned. Calls that went unheeded until 1829.
10 The 1829 convention focused on issues regarding representation & white male voter suffrage & the only major change was a governor’s term was increased to three years. What is notable is who attended: Presidents Madison, Monroe, Tyler, & Chief Justice Marshall.
11 The ensuring years saw several new constitutions. 1851 version provided universal white male suffrage. That of 1861 (known as the Succession Convention) was rejected by the voters. The 1864 convention adopted a “Civil War” Constitution generally given no legal effect today.
12 After the Civil War, and as a result of the Reconstruction Acts, a constitutional convention was convened in 1867. Notably, a quarter of the delegates were African Americans. This constitution gave the governor the veto power and afforded rights to African Americans.
13 This convention also made a significant change to the Virginia “Bill of Rights” by adding a “Baby Ninth Amendment,” declaring that the enumeration of certain rights “shall not be construed to limit other rights of the people.”
14 This language is similar to the often dismissed 9th Amendment to the US Con & was added to the VA Constitution during the adoption of 14th Amendment, which was also meant to protect individual rights. Connection? Those interested can find more here:
15. Another convention was convened in 1902. The constitution which issued contained numerous provisions to limits voter turnout, including a poll tax, a literacy test, and a property requirement. As we saw last week, welcome to the Jim Crow South.
16 Eventually, another constitution was adopted in 1971. This is the current constitution in Virginia and enshrined many of the changes brought about during the Civil Rights Era.
