Trivia: Which Virginian was among the earliest Founding Fathers to reject slavery?
James Madison
Thomas Paine
George Washington
George Mason
The correct answer is George Mason
So why is this answer correct? : In 1808, Founding Father George Mason called slavery “disgraceful to mankind.” Prior to that, he helped draft the Virginian constitution in 1776 — notably including the concept of “inalienable rights,” which historians believe influenced Thomas Jefferson as he wrote the Declaration of Independence later that same year. Mason’s influence also led to the addition of the Bill of Rights to the U.S. Constitution.