Trump marks 250 years of Virginia rights charter

Washington, June 13 (IANS) US President Donald Trump marked the 250th anniversary of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, calling it a foundational document that helped shape the United States’ Declaration of Independence, Constitution and Bill of Rights.

In a message issued by the White House, Trump said on Friday that the June 12, 1776 declaration was the first official statement of individual liberties in the American colonies and played a central role in the development of American democracy.

“On June 12, 1776, Virginia unanimously proclaimed the Virginia Declaration of Rights—the first official declaration of individual liberties in the American Colonies and one of the most consequential documents in the history of human freedom,” Trump said.

The statement comes as the United States continues commemorations linked to America 250, a nationwide programme marking the 250th anniversary of American independence in 2026.

Trump said the Virginia Declaration emerged as colonial leaders sought to establish a new system of self-government while breaking away from British rule.

“Determined to cast off the chains of British tyranny, they fought to secure what no king could take away: the right to govern themselves, to speak freely, to worship as they chose, and to be judged by their fellow citizens rather than the decrees of a distant crown,” he said.

The President credited George Mason, one of Virginia’s leading statesmen, with crafting a document whose influence extended far beyond the colony.

According to the White House message, the declaration was inspired by Enlightenment thinkers including John Locke and asserted that “all men are by nature equally free and independent” and possess rights that are “endowed by our Creator and beyond the reach of any earthly power.”

Trump said the document established the principle that political power resides with the people and affirmed protections including freedom of the press, trial by jury, religious liberty and the separation of powers.

“The Declaration also affirmed the time-honored principles of separation of powers, checks and balances, freedom of the press, trial by jury, and the free exercise of religion—enduring pillars of liberty that remain the bedrock of our Republic today,” he said.

The President also linked the declaration to two of America’s most influential founding figures. He said Thomas Jefferson drew upon its language and ideals while drafting the Declaration of Independence weeks later, while James Madison later relied on its principles in developing the Bill of Rights.

“As we celebrate the 250th anniversary of its adoption, we renew our solemn pledge to preserve and defend the sacred principles enshrined in the Virginia Declaration of Rights,” Trump said.

He added that the United States would continue “protecting these liberties bestowed upon us by Almighty God, upholding equal justice under the law, and carrying forward this glorious inheritance of freedom for generations to come.”

Adopted in Williamsburg on June 12, 1776, the Virginia Declaration of Rights is widely regarded as one of the earliest constitutional statements of individual freedoms and representative government. Drafted primarily by George Mason, it became a model for later rights-based constitutional frameworks in the United States.

Historians have long viewed the document as an important influence on democratic governance beyond America.

–IANS

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