Virginia Constitution of 1776

E120307

The Virginia Constitution of 1776 was the first state constitution adopted after the American colonies declared independence, establishing a republican form of government for Virginia and heavily influencing later U.S. constitutional principles.

All labels observed (4)

How this entity was disambiguated

Statements (49)

Predicate Object
instanceOf historical legal document ⓘ
state constitution ⓘ
adoptedBy Virginia Convention of 1776 ⓘ
linked to: Virginia Convention
adoptionLocation Williamsburg, Virginia ⓘ
linked to: Williamsburg
appliesToJurisdiction Commonwealth of Virginia ⓘ
linked to: Virginia
associatedWithPerson James Madison ⓘ
Patrick Henry ⓘ
Thomas Jefferson ⓘ
contains Virginia Declaration of Rights ⓘ
context American Revolutionary War ⓘ
country United States of America ⓘ
createdOffice Council of State ⓘ
Governor of Virginia ⓘ
dateAdopted 1776-06-29 ⓘ
didNotAbolish slavery in Virginia ⓘ
establishedPrinciple frequent, certain, and regular elections ⓘ
popular sovereignty ⓘ
separation of powers ⓘ
executiveSelectionMethod election by the legislature ⓘ
follows colonial charter of Virginia ⓘ
governmentFormEstablished republican form of government ⓘ
governorTermLength one year ⓘ
governorTermLimit no more than three successive terms ⓘ
historicalSignificance first written constitution of an American state after declaring independence ⓘ
model for later state bills of rights ⓘ
influenced French Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen ⓘ
United States Bill of Rights ⓘ
linked to: Bill of Rights

United States Constitution ⓘ
other early American state constitutions ⓘ
influencedBy English Bill of Rights ⓘ
Enlightenment political philosophy ⓘ
language English ⓘ
legalStatus no longer in force ⓘ
legislatureType bicameral legislature ⓘ
limitedSuffrageTo white male property owners ⓘ
lowerHouseName House of Delegates of Virginia ⓘ
partiallyRevisedBy Virginia constitutional amendments of 1830 ⓘ
precededBy Virginia Declaration of Independence from Great Britain ⓘ
principalAuthorOfDeclarationOfRights George Mason ⓘ
religiousPolicy ended establishment of the Church of England in Virginia in practice but not fully in law ⓘ
replacedInstitution House of Burgesses ⓘ
rightsProtected free exercise of religion ⓘ
freedom of the press ⓘ
prohibition of excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishments ⓘ
right to bear arms for the common defense ⓘ
trial by jury ⓘ
supersededBy Virginia Constitution of 1830 ⓘ
upperHouseName Senate of Virginia ⓘ
linked to: Virginia Senate
yearAdopted 1776 ⓘ

How these facts were elicited

Referenced by (6)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Virginia Declaration of Rights → partOf → Virginia Constitution of 1776 ⓘ
American state constitutions → earliestExamplesInclude → Constitution of Virginia (1776) ⓘ
linked to: Virginia Constitution of 1776
Constitution of Virginia → previousVersionAdopted → 1776 Constitution of Virginia ⓘ
linked to: Virginia Constitution of 1776
Attorney General of Virginia → officeCreatedBy → Virginia Constitution of 1776 ⓘ
Council of State (Virginia) → hasLegalBasis → Virginia Constitution of 1776 ⓘ
subject linked to: Council of State
Virginia colonial government → followedBy → Virginia state government under the 1776 Constitution ⓘ
linked to: Virginia Constitution of 1776