Final answer:
The Virginia Declaration of Rights, drafted by George Mason in 1776, is the foundational document that influenced the Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776
The document in question is the Virginia Declaration of Rights, drafted by George Mason in 1776. This declaration established fundamental principles that government may not infringe upon basic human liberties. It stated that all men are by nature equally free and independent, possessing certain inherent rights. Furthermore, the Virginia Declaration of Rights served as a model for the future Bill of Rights adopted as the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. It included protections such as the freedom of the press, the right to bear arms, and the right to a speedy trial by jury. These concepts were so influential that even after the U.S. Constitution was drafted, many states, including Virginia, called for a federal Bill of Rights which was eventually added to the Constitution with the advocacy of James Madison, and adopted in 1791.