Friday, June 12, 2026

Question: Where is the original Virginia Declaration of Rights located?

Answer: The original first-draft manuscript of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, authored by George Mason, is held in the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. A separate copy, which Mason wrote from memory in 1778 as a record of what he had initially proposed, is located at the Library of Virginia in Richmond. However, this later version is not an exact reproduction—scholars have found it to be a composite that blends elements of his original draft, the amended convention draft, and the final adopted text, with some differences reflecting the limits of Mason’s recollection.