Virginia’s Declaration of Rights grounded revolution in popular sovereignty and natural rights.

Evidence

All men are born equally free & independent, & have certain inherent natural Rights,” the draft began, “among which are, the Enjoyment of Life & Liberty, with the Means of acquiring & possessing property, & pursuing & obtaining Happiness & Safety.” Displacing the Crown as a source of authority, the second proposition declared, “All power is by God & Nature vested in, & consequently derived from, the people.” Government, the third proposition added, “is, or ought to be, instituted for the common Benefit, protection, & Security of the people” such that “whenever any Government shall be found inadequate or contrary to these purposes, a Majority of the community hath an indubitable, unalienable, & indefeasible Right, to reform, alter, or abolish it.” Both revolutionary and republican, these propositions justified declaring independence in a Western world previously dominated by nobles and prelates. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 198

Categorization

• DEFINE: Lays out the founding conception of natural rights, popular sovereignty, and the right of revolution as legal-political first principles that the course analyzes.
• XREF: Directly relevant to foundational-course values: compare ‘pursuit of Happiness’ framing here with modern due-process liberty jurisprudence. — connects to: Virginia’s ‘natural rights’ clause was drafted to exclude enslaved Africans. — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 199; The Halifax Resolves framed independence in Lockean rights language — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 138; Congress’s May 1776 resolution urged colonies to adopt republican governments — Edward J. Larson, Declaring Independence, 166