Overview

George Mason [1725-1792] is remembered as the father of the Bill of Rights and for his unwillingness to sign the U.S. Constitution. John R. Vile examines Mason's political philosophy and writings that have influenced American political thought. Chief of these is the Virginia Declaration of Rights which served as a basis for the United States Bill of Rights. xxi, 271 pp.

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9781616196318

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Students of eighteenth-century political thought will welcome Professor Vile's comprehensive survey and analysis of George Mason's writings. Mason, a reluctant statesman, influenced the course of events in Virginia as it emerged from a royal colony to independent commonwealth. He earned the deep respect of his better-known contemporaries Washington, Jefferson, and Madison. Vile clearly explains why Mason mattered then and still matters as we grapple with the perplexing difficulties of democratic government in the twenty-first century. Charles F. Hobson, William and Mary School of Law John R. Vile revivifies a neglected Founding Father, the curmudgeonly George Mason whose Virginia Declaration of Rights is one of the seminal documents of the Republic. More a biography of Mason's constitutional and political thought than of the man, the book analyzes the sweep of his thinking about resisting tyranny, drafting the Declaration and the first Virginia constitution, framing the U.S. Constitution, opposing its ratification, and the need for the citizenry to be ever vigilant against attempted subversions of their liberties. Warren M. Billings, University of New Orleans Although he was one of revolutionary Virginia's most influential public figures, George Mason has often been forgotten. Fortunately, John Vile has helped to remedy that neglect with ... the most systematic survey of his speeches and political writings to date. Fair minded, thoroughly researched, and clearly written, Vile's new book should benefit both students and scholars. Jeff Broadwater, Professor Emeritus of History, Barton College George Mason's ideas and influence were pivotal to the development of American constitutionalism. In this thoughtful volume, John R. Vile argues that Mason's contributions and commitments stretched far beyond his well-known insistence on a Bill of Rights. In the process, Vile makes Mason's political thought and key writings profoundly accessible to students and scholars alike. Jessica K. Lowe, University of Virginia School of Law

"""Students of eighteenth-century political thought will welcome Professor Vile's comprehensive survey and analysis of George Mason's writings. Mason, a reluctant statesman, influenced the course of events in Virginia as it emerged from a royal colony to independent commonwealth. He earned the deep respect of his better-known contemporaries Washington, Jefferson, and Madison. Vile clearly explains why Mason mattered then and still matters as we grapple with the perplexing difficulties of democratic government in the twenty-first century."" Charles F. Hobson, William and Mary School of Law ""John R. Vile revivifies a neglected Founding Father, the curmudgeonly George Mason whose Virginia Declaration of Rights is one of the seminal documents of the Republic. More a biography of Mason's constitutional and political thought than of the man, the book analyzes the sweep of his thinking about resisting tyranny, drafting the Declaration and the first Virginia constitution, framing the U.S. Constitution, opposing its ratification, and the need for the citizenry to be ever vigilant against attempted subversions of their liberties."" Warren M. Billings, University of New Orleans ""Although he was one of revolutionary Virginia's most influential public figures, George Mason has often been forgotten. Fortunately, John Vile has helped to remedy that neglect with ... the most systematic survey of his speeches and political writings to date. Fair minded, thoroughly researched, and clearly written, Vile's new book should benefit both students and scholars."" Jeff Broadwater, Professor Emeritus of History, Barton College ""George Mason's ideas and influence were pivotal to the development of American constitutionalism. In this thoughtful volume, John R. Vile argues that Mason's contributions and commitments stretched far beyond his well-known insistence on a Bill of Rights. In the process, Vile makes Mason's political thought and key writings profoundly accessible to students and scholars alike."" Jessica K. Lowe, University of Virginia School of Law"

Author Information

JOHN R. VILE (Ph.D., UVA) is Dean of the Honors College at Middle Tennessee State University. He is the author of A Constellation of Great Men: Exploring the Character Sketches of Dr. Benjamin Rush of Pennsylvania of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence (2019), The Declaration of Independence: America's First Founding Document in U.S. History and Culture (2019), The Constitutional Convention of 1787: A Comprehensive Encyclopedia of America's Founding (2016), The Wisest Council in the World: Restoring the Character Sketches by William Pierce of Georgia of the Delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 (2015), and numerous books on the U.S. Constitution.

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