Which Anti-Federalist is known as the Grandfather of the Bill of Rights?

• A. George Mason
• B. Patrick Henry
• C. Samuel Adams
• D. Roger Sherman

Answer: (A)

George Mason, an Anti-Federalist, is known as the Grandfather of the Bill of Rights because he authored the Virginia Declaration of Rights in 1776, a groundbreaking statement of individual liberties that heavily influenced the later U.S. Bill of Rights. He insisted on enumerating protections for rights and refused to support the Constitution without a clear bill of rights. Although he did not live to see the final amendments, his ideas provided the blueprint and moral authority that helped shape the first ten amendments. While the other figures were important in the broader ratification debates, Mason’s advocacy for explicit rights is why this title is attached to him.