George Mason

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George Mason

George Mason (born December 11, 1725 at Pasbytanzy , Colony of Virginia , † October 7, 1792 in Gunston Hall , Fairfax County , Virginia) was an American politician and landowner, who is also known as the "father of the Bill of Rights" .

Life

Mason is considered one of the leading figures in the American independence movement . As the authoritative author of the constitution of his home state Virginia and in particular the Virginia Declaration of Rights , he exerted great influence on the formulation of the American Declaration of Independence and the later Bill of Rights . As a member of the National Convention, he helped shape the United States' constitution .

As early as 1787, Mason advocated the election of the larger legislative chamber by the people as the basis of the democratic principle. In his view, the rights of every class of the people should be taken into account. According to his own words, he was amazed “at the indifference of the upper classes of society towards this commandment of humanity and political wisdom.” Although himself a slave owner , he voted against maintaining the existing slave trade, not for humanitarian reasons, but because it was the trade , the trade and the arts “discourage” : “The poor despised a job as long as it was done by slaves. Slaves prevented the immigration of whites, who would really enrich and strengthen the country. (...) Every master of slaves is born as a little tyrant . "

According to him, that was George Mason University named in Fairfax County. In addition, the counties are Mason County in Kentucky and Mason County in West Virginia named after him.

His grandson was James Murray Mason , who was arrested in the course of the Mason and Slidell affair , which nearly led to Britain entering the war on the side of the Confederate in the American Civil War .

literature

  • Robert A. Rutland (Ed.): The Papers of George Mason. The University of North Carolina Press, Chapel Hill, NC 1970.
  • Pamela C. Copeland, Richard K. Macmaster: The Five George Masons: Patriots and Planters of Virginia and Maryland. The Board of Regents of Gunston Hall, Lorton, VA 1975.
  • Stephan A. Schwartz: Forgotten Founder. (PDF; 63 kB) In: Publication History: Smithsonian Magazine. May 2000, pp. 143-153.

Web links

Commons : George Mason  - collection of images, videos and audio files
Wikiquote: George Mason  - Quotes

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ The American Revolution in Eyewitness Accounts. P. 337.
  2. ↑ James Madison : Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 , Art VII sect 4, August 22, 1787. Lillian Goldman Law Library, New Haven
personal data
SURNAME Mason, George
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American politician
DATE OF BIRTH December 11, 1725
PLACE OF BIRTH Pasbytanzy , Virginia
DATE OF DEATH October 7, 1792
Place of death Fairfax County , Virginia